Shillong: A multi-crore organic cashew processing plant in Gandhipara sits empty seven years after its start. Funded by the central government, the facility was supposed to help farmers in the South West Garo Hills. It now serves as a ghost project. The building stands idle and the power has been cut.
The Achik State People’s Front blames the Board of Directors for the failure. They claim the land donor treats the site like a private holding. RTI records show the money is gone, but the machines never arrived. Sanju T Sangma of the ASPF said: “The processing unit remains a shell. RTI findings reveal that while almost the entire sanctioned amount has been withdrawn and bills for machinery and tools have been submitted, there is nothing on the ground.”
Farmers still sell raw cashews to middlemen for cheap prices. The Horticulture department claims they are powerless against the board. Officials say the directors ignore all formal inquiries and phone calls. The ASPF wants the government to launch a criminal probe into the missing equipment. If the board does not act, the group plans to take the case to court to recover the lost public investment.
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