The chief minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma,  unveiled FOCUS+, an expansion of his flagship initiative FOCUS that will help every household in the state.

Under FOCUS+, households would be provided with a FOCUS+ card as an Identification and a cash transfer of Rs 5,000 as a family benefit.  Families will have the opportunity to participate in more activities and advance the development of the agricultural value chain thanks to FOCUS+.

The programme was introduced at a gathering in the North Garo Hills district's Resubelpara. Large portions of Meghalaya's rural population are likely to receive assistance from it, and it will aim to improve people's quality of life.

Meghalaya received a perfect score on the NITI Aayog's Innovation Index and was recognised internationally as having one of the best startup ecosystems. The state appears to be on track to achieving its goal of ranking among the top 10 states within the next ten years.

"Meghalaya has been improving steadily for the past four and a half years on several fronts, with our farmers being one of our top priorities. Our farmers' support programme FOCUS has given farming activities the much-needed incentive to scale up, and the benefits are clear to all to see. Mission style programmes in Lakadong, Piggery, Milk, Spice, Ginger, Aroma, and other initiatives are giving us the tools we need to develop a support network for our farmers that includes interventions from farm to market "said Conrad Sangma.

He further said, "Due to the fact that it benefited a significant portion of our farming community, FOCUS is very dear to my heart.  FOCUS+ will also offer crucial assistance to guarantee that every family in rural Meghalaya has the means to reach their full potential. The programme will give households all around the State cash payments of Rs. 5,000. This is a part of our ambition to collectivise all of our farmers and assist them through various interventions, which would ultimately double their revenue."

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