Shillong, Aug 16: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday laid stress on the “Meghalayan Decade” that aims to make the state one of the top ten states in India by 2032.
Addressing the gathering during the Independence Day celebrations held at Polo Ground on Thursday, Sangma said there is progress on the resolution of the interstate border dispute with Assam and expressed happiness over the law and order situation in the state.
“I made a commitment that the year 2022 would mark the beginning of the Meghalayan Decade. The 10-year period of 2022 to 2032 would see Meghalaya emerge as one of India’s Top 10 states in GDP per capita income and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. My dream is to create a Meghalayan Decade within the Meghalayan Age,” Sangma said.
Stating that the Meghalaya of 2032 is not just the Government’s 10-year target, Sangma said that it is a vision for the collective future. He stated that Meghalaya’s Mission 10 targets to put Meghalaya among the Top 10 states of the country in 10 years.
“It also provides 10 critical guarantees to every citizen of the state. These guarantees include – road connectivity, water supply, power supply, housing, affordable healthcare, quality education, social security, internet and telecom services, doorstep service delivery, and community infrastructure like playfields and community halls in even the remotest parts of the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sangma said that the new Meghalaya Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy targets to attract investments worth Rs 10,000 crore over the next five years.
He further informed that all these initiatives will increase Meghalaya’s GDP to $10 billion by 2028 and generate 5 lakh new employment opportunities for the youth. Further, by 2032, Meghalaya’s GDP is projected to touch $16 billion, he said.
The CM said there is a need for more 5-star hotels, premium resorts, and luxury camping sites at Shillong, Sohra, Umiam, Tura, and other destinations.
“These new projects will be implemented in a PPP mode with a proposed investment of Rs 2,000 crore. We have launched India’s most attractive homestay scheme offering a subsidy of up to 70% of the project cost. More than 600 homestays have been sanctioned in the last two years and another 2,000 are targeted,” he said.
Further, he informed that a number of initiatives are under way to enhance the ease of living in the cities.
According to him, these include expansion of the roads, redesigning junctions, and developing footpaths.
“Some of Shillong’s most iconic locations are being developed into centres for recreational, cultural, and social activities. These include the heritage complex at Barik Point, the Wards Lake Promenade, Lady Hydari Park and the Wah Umkhrah riverfront. About 1,200 new parking spaces are also being created to enable decongestion,” Sangma said.
He also informed that the New Shillong Administrative City at Mawdiangdiang and the New Shillong Knowledge City at Mawkhanu are being built.
He added that the most ambitious projects that Meghalaya has ever seen including the New Secretariat and the Directorate Complexes, the New Shillong Water Supply Scheme, the second phase of the Shillong Tech Park, the PM Ekta Mall, and the Meghalaya Skills and Innovation Hub are all at various phases of design and construction. Every project in New Shillong City is being designed to promote ease-of-living and sustainability, he added.
