Shillong, August 15: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said the state’s economy had more than doubled since 2018, making it the third fastest-growing state in India over the past five years, while asserting that his government remained committed to financial discipline and faster development.
Addressing the Independence Day celebrations at Polo Grounds, Sangma said the government’s development strategy was based on protecting land, empowering people and preserving Meghalaya’s culture.
He highlighted progress in roads and infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, tourism and sports. Thanking the Centre for its support, Sangma said the state had made significant progress since 2018.
On environmental conservation, he said Meghalaya had 76 per cent forest cover and highlighted the Green Meghalaya Plus programme, which incentivises communities to protect natural forests. More than 60,000 springs have been mapped and over 500 large water-harvesting structures created, he said.
Sangma said the government was also promoting scientific and sustainable mining while developing a framework to support small miners. In agriculture, schemes such as CM Farm Plus, the Organic Mission, Floriculture Mission and Ginger Mission were promoting high-value crops among more than 25,000 farmers across all 12 districts.
He said maternal deaths had declined by 56 per cent since 2020 and infant deaths by nearly 40 per cent. More than one lakh pregnant women had been transported to healthcare facilities under the Safe Motherhood Scheme, including over 15,800 high-risk mothers.
In education, Meghalaya’s Performance Grading Index score improved from 448 to 525 in a year, moving the state out of the lowest category. The CM Skills Mission has trained more than 55,000 young people since 2022, while PRIME and CM-ELEVATE have supported entrepreneurship and employment.
Sangma said tourism had emerged as a major source of livelihood, with annual visitors increasing from around 10 lakh in 2018 to nearly 18 lakh. Ahead of the 39th National Games, more than 20,000 grassroots sports projects had been completed or were underway, while the STAR programme had supported over 2,400 athletes.
He urged young people to stay away from drugs and highlighted sports, music and skill development as avenues for growth. He also said the CM Connect initiative had reached more than one lakh citizens through its helpline and other channels since 2024.
On cultural preservation, Sangma said the government would continue efforts to promote Khasi and Garo languages and pursue their inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. He also referred to the 2022 agreement with Assam that resolved boundary differences in six of the 12 disputed areas.
With Meghalaya set to turn 55 and host the 39th National Games in the coming year, Sangma urged people to remain optimistic and become partners in the state’s development.
