By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 16: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday gave a detailed presentation to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on the MDA government’s ambitious plan of turning Meghalaya into a $10 billion economy by 2028.
The Vice President, impressed with the presentation, urged the state government to continue marching forward with its plans and vision.
Dhankhar said the GDP growth does not indicate the development of a state but the aspirations of the state are implementable. “The visit to Shillong is an eye-opener for me because of the good works being done in the state,” he said.
Sangma also gave a detailed presentation to the Vice President on Meghalaya’s model of development and the challenges associated with it apart from updating him on the proposed projects in the state.
Sangma said there has been a steep improvement in health indicators with a significant drop in Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant Mortality Rate.
He also said Meghalaya received externally aided projects worth Rs 12,170 crore, of which Rs 9,137 crore is the loan amount to be handled by the Centre.
Sangma sought the Vice President’s assistance to expand the Shillong Airport and informed him about a plan to turn Khyndai Lad into a modern urban centre.
Sangma further said the government would provide 10 guarantees for citizens of the state to be achieved in the next 10 years. These include improved connectivity and seamless mobility, piped drinking water for all, high-speed internet connectivity everywhere, and affordable and quality healthcare for all.
He also said the size of the state budget has doubled from Rs 12,730 crore in 2019 to Rs 25,052 crore in 2024.
He told Dhankhar that investment from externally aided projects in the country also increased from Rs 3,055 crore to Rs 11,002 crore during the same period.
The chief minister said the state’s capital expenditure increased to Rs 5,234 crore in 2024 from Rs 1,903 crore in 2019, and the state’s receipts increased sharply to Rs 3,740 crore from Rs 2,221 crore.
Sangma said investment in the education sector increased from Rs 945 crore in 2015 to Rs 2,338 crore in 2024. Similarly, Rs 1,450 crore has been invested in roads and bridges during the 2024-25 fiscal, which was Rs 739 crore in 2015.
He said Rs 1,205 crore has been invested in the health sector this year compared to Rs 549 crore in 2015.
The investment in the urban affairs sector increased from Rs 57 crore in 2015 to Rs 455 crore today, he added.