Meghalaya Basin Development Authority

Meghalaya grapples with complex challenges in pursuing sustainable growth, stemming from demand and supply issues. On the demand side, maximizing farmer productivity faces hurdles due to deteriorating natural resources, unsustainable land use, and climate change effects. Farmers struggle to connect with markets, access capital, and leverage collective marketing, leading to urban migration. The enterprise sector, despite significant investments, is in its nascent stages. On the supply side, a top-down approach creates a disconnect, and a lack of convergence platforms results in duplicity of efforts and resource wastage.

To address these challenges, the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA), established in 2012, works to implement adaptable solutions. Headed by the Chief Secretary, it focuses on harnessing natural resources for livelihood opportunities and inclusive development. MBDA actively promotes Natural Resource Management (NRM) initiatives and facilitates access to capital and high-leverage markets and supports the development of the agri sector. The primary goal is poverty alleviation and enhanced quality of life through collaborative programs involving stakeholders, government departments, and traditional institutions. MBDA emphasizes effective planning, good governance, timely interventions, and adequate investment.

Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives for which the MBDA is established are as under:

1. To sustainably develop river basin resources which can ultimately lead to promoting sustainable livelihoods and gainful employment opportunities for residents of river basins, independent or through the convergence of initiatives.
2. To, without any motives to earn profit, enhance and improve the livelihood for the poor in the state of Meghalaya.
3. To increase sustainable income generating cultivation systems and establishment of micro/ small scale/ medium scale bio-industrial units.
4. To enable people’s participation to select livelihood activities most suited to their resources, skills, and interest.
5. To address the felt needs and priorities of women and increase their participation in local institutions and decision-making processes.
6. To promote micro finance including saving, and thrift and micro insurance projects.
7. To provide business development services including demonstrations, trainings, consultancies and advisory services on all matters relating to technical, organizational, management commencement and expansion of the enterprise, purchasing techniques, production, purchases, sales, material and cost, quality control, marketing, advertising, publicity, personnel’ information technology services, development and transfer, backward and forward business linkage promotion and horizontal linkage among enterprises, export and import to and for institutions/ concerns/ bodies/ associations/ corporations/ public and local authorities/ trusts/ cooperative societies.
8. To help in promoting sustainable enterprises at micro and small-scale levels especially to the poor by way of providing equity, debt financing, leasing, insurance and other means
9. To rotate and utilize the resources of the authority for ongoing building up of new enterprises by exciting the enterprises that have achieved the sustainable scale and viability, through appropriate mechanisms; and
10. To act as a catalyst in facilitating mobilization of financial resources to micro/small/ medium scale enterprises to benefit the poor.