By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 23: The state government convened a capacity-building workshop at the State Convention Centre on Tuesday to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on data-driven governance and outcome-based budgeting.
Organised by the Planning, Investment Promotion & Sustainable Development Department in collaboration with the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GIZ), the session aimed to align district-level operations with state priorities.
Addressing the workshop, Commissioner and Secretary of the Planning department, Dr Vijay Kumar D, detailed the state’s structured approach, including the establishment of district SDG cells and a network of Village Data Volunteers. He announced that the CM Catalytic Fund has been expanded, allowing each district to access grants of up to Rs 1.5 crore for targeted interventions.
The state aims to rank among India’s top 10 states in SDGs by 2030 and per capita income by 2032.
Secretary R Nainamalai linked these efforts to the “Viksit Meghalaya” vision, which targets a $10 billion economy by 2028 and a $100 billion economy by 2047.
He noted that Meghalaya is one of the few states implementing an SDG-linked budget to ensure measurable results. Currently, the state maintains a “Performer” status in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, showing significant progress in clean water, climate action, and reducing inequalities.
The workshop also covered vocational skilling for green jobs and monitoring frameworks such as the Village Advancement Index and the Meghalaya One Portal. East Khasi Hills was recognised as the leading district performer for its decentralised planning efforts.
