By Our Reporter
Shillong, Oct 11: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery stated on Wednesday that objectives and targets are crucial motivational tools, a day after calling Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s $10 billion economic dream “aspirational”.
He said Meghalaya must be aspirational in addition to pragmatic. “It’s a lofty objective. However, based on what the Chief Secretary showed me yesterday, this ambition has sparked a tonne of extra research to find ways to reach the $10 billion target,” Bery told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the Mylliem Syiem’s office where he was accompanied by KHADC CEM, Pyniaid Sing Syiem.
He claimed that no one could have predicted COVID or a conflict in Ukraine five years ago.
“Therefore, these are lofty goals. However, the state government is well aware of this. Additionally, there is the issue of preparing households and communities for shocks of any kind — tornadoes, floods, etc. That is a necessary aspect of being ready to become a $10 billion economy in order to ensure that you are ready for any shocks that may arise, like the COVID-19 pandemic did,” Bery added.
The NITI Aayog official praised the Meghalaya government for its awareness and initiative in bringing numerous national projects, such as drinking water and rural roads, to the remote areas of the state.
“It appears that this government has accomplished a great deal. Nevertheless, Meghalaya’s conditions limit those accomplishments. Many of the villages in the state are not necessarily easy to reach but there is an effort to uplift the schools in the villages to the national standards,” Bery said.
Bery added that the spatial component makes institutional deliveries challenging once more. Declaring that much has been accomplished, he stated that he does not believe there is any mystery about the action and outcome because this government works very hard for the community.
He went on to say that his purpose is not to pass judgement but rather to watch and see how the NITI Aayog, with its meagre resources, can advance the state.
“The CM highlighted the significance of Niti Aayog for the advancement of the state when we recently met at the G20 summit,” Bery recalled.
According to Bery, it is usually simple to identify indicators when examining multiple states where one is performing worse than the others. “Our goal is to be meticulous. However, the amount of improvement is what we should be focusing on.”
He claimed that there are indices for health, multidimensional poverty, etc. “Thus, I’m not going to make an overall judgement,” he stated.
He noted that what he discovered was that Meghalaya’s response to the biggest shock, COVID, was greatly influenced by the locals.
He claimed that as inclusive growth entails the growth of the entire nation, the issue is not just one of growth but also “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”.
“Therefore, I am visiting Meghalaya out of courtesy. I’m here because I want to learn about the problems the state is facing, not because I have an agenda.”
Speaking on his trip to the state, he stated that one of the reasons he chose to visit Meghalaya was because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given tribal issues a lot of attention and because tribes make up a sizable portion of India’s population. Bery noted that the federal government does not always provide adequate support for the tribes and tribal states.
As per his statement, the NITI Aayog is cognizant of the problems encountered by the indigenous people, given their significant role in the development plan.
He also noted that tribal people make up the majority of people in the Northeast in general and the state in particular.
Bery further mentioned that this is his first official visit to any state in the Northeast, and expressed his interest in Meghalaya’s tribal aspect.
Bery claimed that learning about the roles and responsibilities of the autonomous district council was the second reason he travelled to the state.
“It interests me to learn more about their power and jurisdiction. I learned a lot about the duties and power exercised by district councils in the course of the 15-20 minute conversation,” Bery added.