Meghalaya CM launches cheque distribution for FOCUS+ and Green Meghalaya beneficiaries

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday distributed cheques to beneficiaries under the FOCUS+ and Green Meghalaya+ schemes during a programme held at Student’s Field in Ampati, organised by the South West Garo Hills district administration.
Sangma said, the FOCUS+ launched in July 2022, was designed to provide direct financial assistance of Rs. 5,000 annually to eligible producer households to support rural livelihoods. He said the scheme follows a “one beneficiary per household” policy to ensure equitable distribution and avoid duplication.
During the initial rollout in 2022–23, Sangma said a total of 1,50,662 beneficiaries received Rs. 75.33 crore under the FOCUS+.
Following a verification exercise integrated with the Meghalaya One Portal, 93,285 beneficiaries were confirmed eligible, while those removed from the list were allowed to reapply through the portal.
The Chief Minister added that payments for the 2023–24 period were delayed to strengthen the system, after which two instalments of Rs. 2,500 each were released in August and December 2025, amounting to Rs. 46.64 crore.
For the 2024–25 financial year, Sangma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said, the government has begun releasing the first instalment of Rs. 2,500 to 93,285 verified beneficiaries along with 11,133 newly verified households from the Garo Hills region, bringing the total number of households supported under FOCUS+ to 1,04,418.
So far, Rs. 148.08 crore has been disbursed through the scheme, he said.
In the Garo Hills region alone, Sangma said, the current tranche will benefit 81,046 households, including 11,133 new beneficiaries, with Rs. 20.26 crore being released across the five districts. In South West Garo Hills district, 14,017 beneficiaries will receive a total of Rs. 3.50 crore.
Highlighting the Green Meghalaya+ initiative, Sangma said the programme encourages forest owners and communities to conserve forest land by providing incentives ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 per hectare under the Payment for Ecosystem Services model.
He noted that Meghalaya has around 17,000 square kilometres of forest cover and the government aims to conserve one lakh hectares under the initiative.
“More than 2,800 beneficiaries have already conserved nearly 40,000 hectares of forest land across the state,” Sangma said. A total of Rs. 77.21 crore has been disbursed under Green Meghalaya+, including Rs. 34.73 crore in the Garo Hills region, while another Rs. 48 crore is set to be released to beneficiaries in the current phase, the Chief Minister said. In South West Garo Hills district, incentives worth Rs. 48.23 lakh are being distributed to beneficiaries from Rerapara, Zikzak and Betasing blocks for conserving 551.18 hectares of forest land.
Selected beneficiaries received cheques under both schemes during the programme, which concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Additional Deputy Commissioner and Project Director, DRDA, Raymond Z D Shira.