SHILLONG: The state government on Monday launched an investment promotion board with Ananda Bose, who is the advisor to the government, as the executive chairman.
The board, which was launched on the occasion of the 47th statehood day, aims to improve the image of Meghalaya to attract investors.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Bose said Meghalaya has unique features which have hitherto not been acknowledged. “Now we have Meghalayan Age and that is a big compliment for the state. Also, the bounteous natural beauty and resources make it a potential place for investment. The real worth of this natural abundance has not been assessed till date. The peace-loving people here are also its asset,” said Bose. Bose, who is from Kerala, said if his state is ‘God’s own country’ then the hill state is ‘God’s own Paradise’.
Last July, a report published by the World Bank and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion had ranked Meghalaya at the bottom of the list in terms of ease of doing business. Bose said considering the resources of and restraints in the state, he would “envision Meghalaya as the future IT hub of India”.
“There is a paradigm shift from industrial era to information age. While the former was polluting, the latter is a non-polluting growth. So we can always tap this potential,” said the executive chairman of the board.
Making Meghalaya an education or a health hub is also on the vision list. Bose feels that the state does not have any development itself could be a selling point. “First, it is an unpolluted state and can always be a good place for healthcare investment. Second, while we talk about special economic zones, why cannot we think of a special education zone,” he added.
Tourism is another sector where the state has immense potential. “I have given a 60-point action plan, called Leap Meghalaya, to the government that has to prioritise its action. I will also recommend to the chief minister to develop an integrated transport system and introduce cable trams. This will not only add to the state infrastructure but also help boost tourism,” Bose elaborated. On 47th anniv, vision…
(Contd from P-3) However, the state government “has to be pro-active” and “there should be zero tolerance for corruption” to make the vision a reality.
“So far there has been little or no investment because of the wrong policies of the government. Now, I have a feeling that the new chief minister, a young and dynamic leader, can make it work as his approach is free from governmental rigidities,” Bose said.
When asked about the time frame, Bose said there should be a long term and short term plan. “No change can happen overnight. If there is a five-year plan, then year-on-year plan should be laid down. But the most important thing is there should be credibility and the action plan should not become a political manifesto,” he added.
The new government is also embarking on a 100-day programme. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said on Monday the programme will bring about a change in the seat of power, the Secretariat, by making it an energy efficient building.
The plan is not confined to the Secretariat as he said the streets will be lit up with LED lights. To attract private investment, the government will embark on a PPP mode while funding for private investors will be from the energy savings.
The plan to make it (the Secretariat) an energy efficient building by putting smart meters, LED lights and this will be done on PPP mode. For the Urban Affairs Department, he said street lights will be replaced with LED lights in 100 days.
Also included in the 100-day are electric vehicles. Sangma encouraged the other officials to start using the electric vehicles.
He said the 100-day programme will be launched for the Health, Agriculture and Tourism departments.
“Different departments will be told about the 100 days programme and will be asked to complete the programmes in the particular specified time,” Sangma said.
Commenting on self help groups (SHGs), he said there are 12000 SHGs in the state and claimed most of them have not received any loans in the last many years.
Stating that it has more to do with financial institutions and less with government, he said the government “is concerned and want to ensure to give the full support even to the banks to achieve their goals”.
Documentation
Sangma said there is a need to document all the information about the state till the state completes 50 years and urged the Directorate of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) to start documentation from this year till the state achieves 2022.
“Let us start documenting from pre-independence to independence, from independence to statehood and from statehood till the state gets 50 years in 2022,” he said.
He added that the documentation will ensure that the young generation connects with history.
As a further step to document the journey of the state, Sangma said the state museum should have a section that showcases the history of statehood consisting of freedom fighters.
A documentary titled ‘Meghalaya, My pride’ was screened that featured the Meghalayan Age, Mawlynnong, indigenous flora and fauna, the Simsang river, Nokrek, Umngot river and sacred groves.
