Shillong: Cabinet Minister Methodius Dkhar on Monday called for a stronger partnership between the media and the administration to improve awareness of government schemes, counter misinformation and ensure that welfare benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.
Dkhar was speaking at the PIB Varta Media Sensitisation Workshop on Centrally Sponsored Schemes, organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Shillong, in collaboration with the West Khasi Hills district administration at the DC Conference Hall in Nongstoin.
The workshop brought together media representatives, social media influencers, district officials and grassroots stakeholders to discuss ways to improve awareness of Central and state government schemes and bring development stories from remote areas of West Khasi Hills to a wider audience.
Dkhar said both the administration and the media have an important role in ensuring that information about government schemes reaches people at the grassroots.
He urged government departments to step up their outreach efforts despite challenges such as low participation in awareness programmes, while calling on the media to help communicate the benefits of various schemes to communities.
The minister also highlighted the economic potential of West Khasi Hills, particularly in tourism, agriculture, horticulture and sericulture.
He said the district’s fertile soil, favourable climatic conditions, natural resources, scenic landscapes and water bodies could contribute significantly to the state’s economy.
Improved road connectivity, he said, would further strengthen these sectors by facilitating the movement of people and agricultural produce while creating new economic opportunities for local communities.
Dkhar also stressed the need to ensure that welfare schemes reach the people they are intended for. Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), he underlined the importance of proper beneficiary identification and effective communication so that eligible people can access the available benefits.
He further urged mainstream media to play a greater role in countering misinformation on social media by providing verified information, factual context and necessary clarification to the public.
West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Hema Nayak said the workshop was aimed at addressing the limited representation of development and community stories from remote villages of the district in mainstream media.
She said bringing media representatives and grassroots stakeholders together at the district headquarters would help identify stories related to government projects, development initiatives and individuals whose achievements often remain underreported.
Nayak stressed the need for greater interaction between the administration, media and local communities to ensure that grassroots development stories receive wider attention.
A technical session on “Regional Journalism and the Last Mile: Taking Development Stories from the Ground to the People” was conducted by journalist Princess Giri Rashir of EastMojo.
Rashir spoke about the changing nature of news consumption in the digital age, where social media platforms and mobile phones have become major sources of information. She emphasised the importance of credible regional journalism in verifying information, establishing facts and providing context, particularly when dealing with viral content.
She said journalists should go beyond official announcements and examine whether government schemes are actually reaching their intended beneficiaries. Citing her reporting on the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, she highlighted the importance of examining documents and scheme guidelines, speaking to multiple stakeholders and seeking responses from concerned authorities before publishing a report.
Rashir also highlighted the role of citizen journalists and digital content creators in bringing grassroots issues to public attention, while stressing that information circulated through such platforms should be verified before being amplified.
Officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture, PWD (Roads), Public Health Engineering, Soil & Water Conservation, Tourism, Fisheries and DRDA departments also made presentations on various government schemes and development initiatives being implemented in the district.
The workshop concluded with an interactive session involving media representatives, officials and the district administration, focusing on strengthening last-mile communication, improving awareness of government schemes and giving greater visibility to development stories emerging from remote areas of West Khasi Hills.
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