The focus was on the govt’s flagship initiative to build $10-billion state economy
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 17: The second day of Meghalaya’s two-day Cabinet Retreat on Saturday focused on aligning departmental priorities with the state’s broader vision, with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma saying the exercise was aimed at ensuring cohesive planning, clear targets, and collective ownership of Meghalaya’s long-term development goals.
Sangma said the retreat was designed to bring all departments onto a common platform and align their individual visions with the state government’s larger objectives. Departments were encouraged to set clear targets and share these goals with other ministries and officials to foster better coordination, idea-sharing, and teamwork.
He said the retreat provided a crucial opportunity for officials to exchange ideas, discuss strategies, and work together as a unified team toward Meghalaya’s growth agenda.
This year’s retreat centred on Mission 10, the government’s flagship initiative to build a $10-billion state economy. Sangma emphasised that discussions were not limited to economic growth alone, but also focused on how each opportunity could translate into job creation.
Ten key opportunities under Mission 10 were deliberated, while several presentations were still scheduled for the second half of the retreat.
On the first day, the focus was on social commitments alongside economic progress, including housing for all, electrification, and strengthening education and healthcare. Investments in schools and health infrastructure were highlighted as critical for both growth and fulfilling the government’s pledge to ensure quality education, joyful learning, and accessible healthcare for all citizens.
Sangma said the retreat had helped align the thought processes of ministers and officials, creating a shared understanding of priorities and a collective approach to advancing the state’s development agenda.
Discussions also highlighted the Sports Action Plan 2025 and 303 projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore to host the 2027 National Games, aimed at creating a youth-focused sports economy. Under PRIME Meghalaya, more than 500 entrepreneurs have been incubated with a 25% revenue increase post-incubation, while the CM-ELEVATE program targets over 3,800 beneficiaries with an outlay of ₹130 crore. Plans include finalising the Startup Policy and launching a PRIME Venture Capital Fund to support high-growth enterprises.
The Tourism, Arts, and Culture department outlined strategies to generate 1.25 lakh jobs by 2028, including the CM Meghalaya Homestay Mission 2025, which aims to develop 3,000 units with a 70% financial subsidy. Sangma stressed profiling tourists, noting that younger visitors increasingly seek curated and unique experiences, making homestays a major growth opportunity for the state.
Urban transformation strategies were also presented, focusing on decongesting Shillong through traffic restructuring and organised relocation of hawkers, with similar models planned for Tura and Jowai. Innovative grassroots initiatives were highlighted, such as the transformation of Anganwadi Centres in East Garo Hills into holistic health and early learning hubs, and community-driven digital libraries in South Garo Hills’ Purakhasia Block to combat low literacy rates.
