SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma preferred to introspect rather than celebrate with fanfare the first anniversary of his MDA government on Wednesday.
He also expressed concern over the tardy employment generation in the state.
Addressing a press conference after releasing the booklet of achievement, ‘Meghalaya on the Move’, on the occasion of the MDA’s first anniversary, Sangma said the government wants to look back and improve the areas which need attention.
He, however, said the one year of MDA was productive but there are challenges and hence the MDA partners need to work harder.
“It is easy to get lost in the euphoria and this is the reason why instead of having fanfare and celebration, we decided to introspect and today is just another day in governance,” he said.
According to the chief minister, it is important to look back and realise what MDA has done and what it hasn’t and “this will help the MDA to move forward”.
To a question, the chief minister admitted that unemployment rate is high in the state.
According to Sangma, job seekers should look beyond government initiative as there is a lot of scope for them to become entrepreneurs. “Looking at government as an agency to create jobs is not the right policy but entrepreneurship is the way forward in areas such as agriculture, animal husbandry and others with the objective to create employment.
However, he added that the government is focusing on all sectors in a mission mode with an aim to generate employment.
Education policy
The chief minister said education has been a priority and hence the government came up with the education policy. There are infrastructural projects which include two model colleges which have been sanctioned in Patharkhmah and Rongjeng, he said.
In the health sector, MHIS phase–IV will provide healthcare coverage of Rs 5 lakh to all the families, he added. Conrad said the state of the art diagnostic centre is coming up in Shillong and another initiative is the upgradation of Tura Civil Hospital.
A CT scan machine has already been installed in Tura Civil Hospital.
Road infrastructure
Highlighting many achievements over the past one year as reflected in the report card of the government, Conrad said in the road sector, the sanction for PMGSY has increased four-fold as from Rs 220 crore in 2017-18, the amount earmarked for this financial year is Rs 1,050 crore.
Under the central road fund, there has been a major increase in the sanction from Rs 60-70 crore in the previous years to Rs 32 crore in this financial year.
On the Power Department, Sangma said Ujjwala programme has been implemented with Rs 125 crore along with the implementation of Saubhagya scheme and the state intends to electrify each and every house in the state.
Under the water resource department, Rs 300 crore has been sanctioned in the current financial year and different irrigation schemes are being taken up.
As far as the Tourism Department is concerned, the first phase of Swadesh Darshan has been completed and a new sanction of Rs 85 crore by the Centre for Swadesh Darshan has been taken up in the current financial year.
“In the C&RD, there is almost Rs 1000 crore for the implementation of MGNREGS and Meghalaya is one of the highest performing states in terms of MGNREGS,” he said.
Border dispute
To a question on the border dispute, the chief minister said it is important to see that the people are safe but at the same time, the aspect of development should not be left out. “Both the governments are in dialogue, we are trying to discuss the issue though it is complicated but discussions are on,” Sangma said.
