Shillong, Feb 28: The state government is committed to transforming Meghalaya into a 10 billion dollar economy by 2028, said governor CH Vijayashankar in his address to the state assembly on the first day of the budget session on Friday.
“As we continue our ambitious journey to transform Meghalaya into a 10 billion dollar economy by 2028, we recognise this moment as an opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to the development of our great state,” the governor said in his maiden address to the assembly.
Stating the government’s objective of integrating traditional knowledge with modern innovations, he said, “The government is dedicated to driving holistic growth in Meghalaya, showcasing its rich culture, and enhancing services for citizens.”
“We have made significant advances in the past year, introducing innovative initiatives like CM CONNECT and Hello Meghalaya,” he said.
Highlighting the policies and programmes of the MDA government, the governor said the state is currently implementing multiple externally aided projects, in the sectors of roads, power, agriculture, water conservation and tourism.
These projects are funded by multilateral agencies such as World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, New Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Asian Development Bank.
“72 per cent of the funding under these projects is a grant by Government of India, while the balance is contributed by the state government,” the governor mentioned.
He said the government is leveraging funding support from the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region through various schemes.
Under the PM DeVINE programme, four projects have been sanctioned this year at a total cost of almost ₹395 crore. These include construction of roads at New Shillong City, construction of IT Park at Tura, development of Skywalk and Tourist Hub at Dympep, and construction of Passenger Ropeway at Shillong Peak.
Claiming that the flagship entrepreneurship and employment scheme of the state – CM ELEVATE – is a big success, Vijayashankar said “Under this program, subsides ranging from 37-75% are being provided to set up various businesses in agriculture, livestock, tourism, sports, wellness and mobility. The scheme has positively impacted over 2800 beneficiaries through 12 specialised sub-schemes.”
Emphasizing the importance of road sector, the governor said several important road projects have been sanctioned this year to improve connectivity to remote and far-flung areas.
He said Shillong-Dawki Highway and Tura-Dalu road projects are progressing well with approval granted for a new alignment of Pynursla bypass.
Additionally, key projects such as Shillong Western bypass are also making steady progress.
“The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has sanctioned ₹2,460 crore for improvement of road connectivity and building growth centres in the state under the Meghalaya Economic Growth Corridor (MEGA) project,” he said.
The governor also informed that conversions of SPT bridges to steel bridges is also being prioritized. This year alone, 484 running meters of RCC bridges have been sanctioned. Under the PMGSY 3, the state has got a sanction for 88 new road projects, covering 782 kms and 55 long span bridges, costing around ₹1,056 crore.
On urban development, the govenor said the New Shillong City is at the forefront of innovative and inclusive city development, for which the foundation was laid on Meghalaya Day this year. Other key porjects like Skill Hub, Unity Mall and New Shillong Water Supply Scheme are being implemented. Under the Smart City Mission, the integrated command and control centre was completed and inaugurated in Shillong.
Further, Vijayashankar said to ensure sustained economic growth in the state, the government is promoting investments through public-private partnership and to this end, Meghalaya State Investment Promotion & Facilitiation Act 2024 has been enacted.
Also, the Meghalaya Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy 2024 has been rolled out through which attractive incentives are being provided and priority is being given t important sectors including tourism, hotels and hospitality, IT, biotechnology, food processing, music films and entertainments.
“To safeguard the interests of indigenous people of Meghalaya and to ensure that these investments generate employment for local youth, 90% of the non-managerial jobs in new industries are reserved for local people,” he added.
Stating that the government is committed to providing reliable power supply across the state, the governor said there has been no scheduled load shedding in 2024. “It is expected that in 2025, the state will remain free from scheduled load shedding, ensuring uninterrupted power for all by augmenting the infrastructure at the sub-station level,” he said.
He said bold reforms undertaken by the state government in the distribution sector in the last five years are showing results as the Aggregated Technical and Commercial Losses have been reduced from 32% to 17%.
Setting a clear goal of doubling the farmers’ income, Vijayashankar said the government is prioritizing farm-to-table interventions in high-value crops like turmeric, ginger, organgers, pineapple, herbs, spices and honey in mission mode, benefitting more than 43,000 farmers and covering almost 11,000 hectares of land.
In 2024, 3100 kg of Khasi mandarin and 5000 kg of pineapples have been sent to Dubai and Mumbai respectively. Recently, the state also exported its first ginger shipment of 15 metric tons to Dubai.
With regard to improving the health sector, the governor said the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme (CM-SMS) launched in 2022 has significantly improved maternal and child health outcomes.
Under the scheme, 144 transit home across PHC and CHCs, offering essential services such as transportation, accommodation and medical care.
“About 1.35 lakh pregnant women have availed themselves of transportation services. More than 22,000 high-risk pregnant women have benefited from transit home facilities. 3,408 children suffering from severe or moderate acute malnutrition have received transportation assistance,” he added.
The governor also informed that under the PM-ABHIM, the state has expanded its primary healthcare network by constructing 151 sub-centers at ₹55.5 lakh per unit, with 60 already completed and 21 fully functional. Additionally, 10 integrated public health labs are being established at ₹1.25 crore per unit to enhance disease surveillance and response, further strengthening the state’s healthcare preparedness.
“As a result of these interventions, the state recorded a 49% reduction in maternal deaths and a 32% decline in infant mortality in 2024 compared to 2020 marking a significant improvement in maternal and child health,” he said.
Further, the governor said the state government’s first objective is to promote peace, security and well-being of its citizens.
During the last year, the overall law and order situation in the state remained peaceful.
The successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and the district council elections in 2025 was ensured through the effective measures taken by the district administration and police, he stated.
He informed that in 2023-24, the three new criminal laws – Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya ADhiniyam – were enforced with effect from July 1, 2024.
However, the Autonomous District Councl courts will continue to function under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule.
He said the extensive efforts have been undertaken to ensure that all officers and personnel are thoroughly trained and well-versed in the new criminal laws.
In line with the three new criminal laws, the Directorate of Prosecution has been operationalized with the appointment of a Director and Assistant Public Prosecutors, he said while adding that the Forensic sciences laboratory has been upgraded to a full-fledged Directorate of Forensic Sciences and crime scene infrastructure like mobile forensic science units have been sanctioned.
