Shillong, Mar 13 (Representative) Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said that his government had worked with a mission to take Meghalaya to be among the top ten states in the country. “We started off with a mission of making it to the Top 10 states, then we moved forward with a vision of achieving the target of 10 billion economy and then added 10 opportunities and identified ten sectors that will be drivers of growth and employment,” he said. Speaking at the CM Elevate Conclave, 2024, the Chief Minister said that CM Elevate is aimed at creating a conducive environment for entrepreneurs to grow and flourish through financial assistance, entrepreneurship development, and the creation of jobs. “The CM Elevate is an example of the commitment of the government to further the ambitions of our youth and entrepreneurs by providing the resources to transform their ideas into successful ventures,” he said. He also informed that 1254 beneficiaries, amounting to approximately 56 crore, will benefit from various schemes of the CM Elevate program, thereby creating about 50,000 jobs.
Speaking about the Village Data Volunteers (VDVs), whom he called the “ears” and “eyes” of the government, the Chief Minister stressed the need for timely and doorstep delivery of government services to every citizen and even at the grass-roots level. “These VDVs will provide services to citizens at their doorstep,, besides collecting the data required for government decision-making making acting as a trusted intermediary between the government and the community, fostering good governance, accurate data collection, and efficient service delivery so that development is visible and equitable,’ he informed. The Chief Minister later distributed appointment letters to the VDVs. Launching the Meghalaya State Floriculture Mission during the occasion, the Chief Minister said that it significant and a major step towards agricultural prosperity and rural development.Sangma also informed that in the initial phase 3,100 beneficiaries and a projected budget of 240 crore over three years the mission aims to establish Meghalaya as a floriculture hub. “Our commitment to innovation, strategic planning, robust partnerships and leveraging on the favourable climate and promoting sustainable agricultural practices we will drive this mission forward enhancing livelihoods,” he said.
In her address, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the government is seized with the great requirement of job creation and programs like CM Elevate and the Floriculture Missio is a step towards that direction. She also stressed on the importance of recognising youth productivity and engaging young citizens in economic activities. The Chief Minister and the other dignitaries distributed cheques and sanction letters to beneficiaries of Prime Agriculture Response Vehicles, Piggery Development, Poultry Farming, Goat Farming, Common Facility Centre, Agriculture Warehouse schemes under the CM Elevate program. Sanction letters under the Meghalaya Floriculture Mission were also distributed. The Mission Document of Meghalaya State Floriculture Mission and Meghalaya GDP Vision 2028 were also released during the occasion.