Shillong, Feb 28 (PTI) Meghalaya Governor C H Vijayashankar on Friday said that the government was committed to transforming the state into a USD 10 billion economy by 2028.

In his inaugural address on the first day of the budget session of the state assembly, he called upon every resident of the state to unite in the pursuit of progress for a prosperous Meghalaya.

"My government is dedicated to the holistic development of Meghalaya, showcasing its rich culture, and enhancing services for citizens.

"Improvements in sectors such as roads, power, water supply, investment promotion, IT, tourism and agriculture will drive the state's economic growth. Interventions in the fields of healthcare, education, livelihood generation, social security and citizen-centric governance will ensure the holistic welfare of every resident," he said.

The governor lauded the state's law and order for the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections last year and the tribal council polls this year.

He said Meghalaya is implementing multiple externally aided projects in roads, power, agriculture, water conservation and tourism sectors, with 72 per cent funding by the Centre and the remaining by the state government.

"These projects are funded by multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, New Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank," he said.

Under the PM DeVINE programme, four projects worth over Rs 395 crore have been sanctioned this year for the construction of roads in New Shillong City, an IT park at Tura, a skywalk and tourist hub at Dympep, and a passenger ropeway at Shillong Peak, he said.

The governor also lauded the CM ELEVATE scheme in which subsidies ranging from 35-75 per cent have been provided to over 2,800 beneficiaries to set up various businesses in agriculture, livestock, tourism and sports sectors.

He informed the House that several important road projects, including the Shillong-Dawki Highway and Tura-Dalu Road, are progressing well.

"Under PMGSY-3, the state has been sanctioned 88 new road projects, covering 782 km and 55 long-span bridges, worth a total of Rs 1,056 crore," he said.

The state has also sanctioned Rs 2,460 crore for the improvement of road connectivity and building growth centres under the Meghalaya Economic Growth Corridor (MEGA) project, he said.

On job reservation, the governor said, "To safeguard the interests of indigenous people of Meghalaya and to ensure that these investments generate employment for local youth, 90 per cent of the non-managerial jobs in new industries are reserved for local people." The governor also informed the House that the government is working with the Department of Telecommunications of the Centre to connect all villages with internet.

"So far, 6,346 villages have mobile network coverage, and 6,272 villages have broadband connectivity," he said, adding that investment in IT sector is aimed at creating employment for 15,000 youth in the next five years.

The governor said 3.5 crore person days of employment have been generated on an average annually in the last five years under MGNREGA, supporting over 5 lakh households and providing them with employment for at least 69 days annually.

On the success of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Grameen), the governor said 1.86 lakh houses have been sanctioned by the government during the current financial year.

Also, to improve livelihood and reduce poverty, the government has mobilised 51,674 self-help groups with 1,17,725 'Lakhpati Didis' under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, under which more than 5 lakh households have been covered, he said.

The governor said the government has covered 81 per cent of the houses in the state under the Jal Jeevan Mission till January 2025, which was above the national average and 100 per cent households in 4,024 villages were provided with tap water connection, making those 'Har Ghar Jal' villages.

In areas where water sources were drying up due to climate change, the government is taking steps to rejuvenate them, he added.

The state government has also improved the infrastructure of more than 2,000 schools.

The governor said that the recently inaugurated Captain Williamson Sangma State University is the first state university in Meghalaya to be recognised by the University Grants Commission.

In this university, the students are not required to appear for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for under-graduation and postgraduation courses, he said.

He lauded the performance of five athletes from the state who won medals in the 38th National Games.

The government also revived the Meghalaya Games, hosting its sixth edition in Jowai, which brought together more than 3,500 athletes who competed in 29 sporting disciplines, he said, adding the athletes have received scholarships amounting to around Rs 3.5 crore.

The governor said the process of expansion of Shillong airport to accommodate larger aircraft has been initiated.

"The government is engaging with the Ministry of Defence and the Airports Authority of India to make land available for the expansion of the runway," he said.

The governor said the government has been working relentlessly for transition to scientific mining in the state.

"Three applicants have now received final approval from the Ministry of Coal to begin scientific mining operations. An additional 20 applications have been forwarded to the ministry and are in the advanced stages of approval," he added. PTI JOP ACD