SHILLONG, Oct 9: Governor Brig. BD Mishra (retd) on Sunday said that Meghalaya, which is celebrating its 50th year of Statehood, is committed to continuously improving the standards of living of its citizens to upgrade itself among the top 10 states of the country by the end of the decade.
Addressing the 70th plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Guwahati, he highlighted the challenges faced by Meghalaya and said that climate change and anthropogenic conditions have put the state under severe strain.
He suggested giving priority to environment conservation efforts since nearly 80 per cent of the state’s population is dependent on natural resources for sustaining varied forms of agri-based livelihoods.
The Governor also noted that the Northeastern region has undergone a huge transformation over the last few years. “This has largely been possible on the account of the immense hard work that has been put by the respective state governments and the high priority being accorded by the Government of India to the developmental needs and aspirations of the region,” he said.
“The Prime Minister’s call for ‘Act East’ has given a major thrust to progress in the region, as a result of which various pending infrastructure projects are being taken up and completed on war-footing,” he added.