Tura, Mar 7: Conrad K Sangma, who became Meghalaya’s longest-serving chief minister in terms of continuous tenure by completing eight years in office, said development must be measured by the difference it makes in people’s lives.
Addressing a programme here on Friday to mark eight years of the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, Sangma said the journey since 2018 has been filled with challenges but has been sustained by public support.
“Over the last eight years, our journey has been filled with challenges and difficulties. At times, it has been painful and it has certainly not been easy. But with blessings from above, the love of the people and the support of our citizens, we have been able to overcome most of these challenges,” he said.
The chief minister said that while infrastructure projects are important, the real measure of governance lies in improving people’s lives.
“People often ask what the greatest achievements in the last eight years were. Whether it was the new secretariat being built in Shillong or the additional secretariat being constructed in Tura, roads built or schools constructed. While all these are important, the greatest satisfaction I get is being able to bring a smile on the face of a citizen,” he said.
Conrad K Sangma, who first took oath as the 12th chief minister of Meghalaya on March 6, 2018, completed eight years in office on Friday, surpassing the previous record for continuous tenure held by the state’s first chief minister Williamson A Sangma, who had served for 7 years and 335 days in one stretch.
Interestingly, Conrad K Sangma had not contested the 2018 Meghalaya assembly elections and was then serving as the Member of Parliament from the Tura Lok Sabha constituency when the NPP emerged as a key player in the formation of the MDA coalition government with 19 MLAs.
Though senior NPP leader Prestone Tynsong had initially been projected as the chief ministerial face, coalition partners, including the United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP rallied around Sangma and requested him to return from Delhi to lead the government.
He resigned as the MP and returned to Meghalaya, while his sister Agatha K Sangma contested from the Tura Lok Sabha seat he vacated. Sangma later contested and won the South Tura Assembly by-election, paving the way for him to formally assume office as the chief minister.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong described the completion of eight years of the MDA government as a significant milestone and said financial assistance amounting to around Rs 220 crore was distributed among beneficiaries during the programme.
Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Thomas A Sangma, congratulated Conrad K Sangma on becoming the longest-serving chief minister in the state.
During the programme, the CM also announced several welfare initiatives, including the Chief Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for the academic year 2025-26, benefiting nearly 98,751 students with total assistance of over Rs 5 crore.
A Rs 3-crore initiative to provide a uniform grant to around 50,000 students through direct benefit transfer was also launched.
The chief minister also remotely inaugurated 101 community halls across the state under a project supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). (PTI)
