In the year 2022, Meghalaya celebrated it’s 50 years of statehood. In the past few years, Meghalaya has made remarkable progress in the socio-economic sphere and now is a wonderful time to have an insight into the socio-economic development in Meghalaya. The best part of the development taking place in Meghalaya is that the growth is inclusive in nature. All the residents of Meghalaya share equal stakes in the developmental process.
Skills and Employment
The government launched Youth Policy and under this program, more than 20,000 youth in the state were trained. To be precise, the youth were trained for career preparedness, talent development, communication, leadership development and personal goals. With such skill development, the youth can earn a job instead of relying on family to earn money. Also, the result of the training was such that many youths got placed in different sectors. Additionally, more than 422 start-ups in the state received funding and help in the form of mentorship.
Infrastructure Development
The infrastructure development of any state is definitely the building block. In recent years, the MDA government has started working on several infrastructural projects which are believed to bring multidimensional development to Meghalaya.
A few of such infrastructural projects are Long Pending Hospitality Projects Courtyard by Marriott, Vivanta by Taj, Shillong IT Park, Tribal Research Institute, Tura Incubation and Youth Center, Shillong Business cum Tourism and Cultural Center and PA Sangma Integrated Sports complex. Most of these projects are either completed or will be completed by the end of this year.
The government has spent INR 350 crore to improve the health infrastructure of the state. It further added new primary health centers and hospitals. Similarly, an amount of INR 109 crore was spent on developing 208 schools in the state and the construction will be completed by December of this year.
These infrastructural developments are expected to boost the tourism industry, employment generation and sports tourism. Indian Railways connectivity to other states will be continuously improved with PNR Status reporting increase in train passengers count zooming pre-Covid levels. Furthermore, with the generation of employment within the state, the infrastructure development will also curb migration from the state.
The Development In The Agriculture Sector
The government also focused on the development of the agricultural sector. For instance, 86,000 Jusab Credit Card holders of Meghalaya received interest-free loans. Furthermore, this move benefitted around 40,000 women. The government also created 30 farmer’s markets. This market is equipped with cold storage to increase the longevity of agricultural products.
Different projects which were started to improve the agricultural sector are Mission Lakadong, Megh-Aroma Mission and Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission.
Women Empowerment
Meghalaya is also working a lot to empower the women in the state. The government disbursed INR 97 crore among 38,114 self-help groups. In total, it benefitted 3,37,622 households. This disbursement was merely INR 5.7 crore during 2014-18. It means that there is an increase of 43 times in the disbursement to the SHGs. Also, the number of SHGs and households engaged increased sixfold between 2014-18 and 2018-22. Additionally, 50% of the seats are reserved for women in the village employment councils. Also, a Functional Working Women’s Hostel at Shillong and Tura has been constructed.
Connectivity
For any region, connectivity plays a crucial role in development. Thankfully, Meghalaya has worked hard to improve the connectivity in the state by heavily investing in air and road connectivity. The construction of rural roads increased by eight folds in 2018-22 compared to 2014-18. Similarly, there is a growth of 29% in the habitations connected in the state. In 2020-21, 2.2 km of roads were constructed on a daily basis. The result of the heavy investment is that Meghalaya now shares air connectivity with eight cities. Also, more than 250 aircraft carry over 10,000 passengers in a month.
Currently, the government is heavily investing in all the different sectors required for the state’s overall development. The investment is especially massive in the following sectors: healthcare, education, agriculture, social welfare, water supply and sanitation and road connectivity. The average expenditure of the state has increased by 48.7% and is mostly invested in Meghalaya’s socio-economic development. Hopefully, with such development, the youth of Meghalaya will not now move out of Meghalaya in search of employment opportunities. With such remarkable achievements, Meghalaya does deserve to celebrate its 50 years of statehood.
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