Meghalaya needs 11.5 per cent annual GDP growth to become 10 billion USD economy by 2028: CM Conrad Sangma

West Garo Hills (Meghalaya) [India], February 17 (ANI): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday said that the state needs to achieve 11.5 per cent annual growth (GDP) to fructify its ambitious target of touching the 10 billion US dollar economy by 2028.
"At present, the state has an economy of Rs 45,000 crore, which needs to be improved. It is a herculean task but as a government, we have planned the roadmap to achieve the target," he said while laying the foundation of the Rs 100 crore Bulk Water Supply Project at Ballonggre, Tura, in West Garo Hills district.
The foundation for the "Bulk Water Supply to Adjoining Rural Villages of Tura Town" project was laid in the presence of Speaker Thomas Sangma, PHE Minister Marcuise Marak and Lok Sabha MP Agatha Sangma.
The project, estimated at close to Rs 100 crore, is funded by the Ministry of DoNER under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS).
On completion, it will provide water to about 41 villages under the Rongram, Rerapara and Gambegre blocks of West and South West Garo Hills districts. It will also increase the water supply to the urban area of Tura town.
In the absence of the project, these villages were dependent on the Tura Urban Water Supply Scheme.
The project will be a river pumping scheme from the Ganol River. The scheme comprises pump houses, construction of reservoirs, treatment plant, water pumping, staff quarters, etc.
He said that the government has envisaged a vision for the state and is making investments.
He said that investments are being made to create better and more sustainable infrastructure, create jobs through entrepreneurship and develop innovative policies and programmes to double the farmers' income.
He also informed that a thrust has been given to improve the overall rural economy by focusing on enterprises that will leverage the potential of the rich natural resources of the state.
Talking about the poor performance of the State in various sectors, the Meghalaya Chief Minister said that in the past five years, the MDA 2.0 government has been able to address different challenges.
He said that Meghalaya is marching ahead and has been recognized as the 'best performer' in the implementation of various schemes of the central government including PMGSY, PMAY, JJM, and MGNREGS and has received awards and bonuses.
"Prior to 2019, the PHE department had less than 50 crore in budget. At present, the budget has increased to Rs. 3000 crore and the focus is on the creation of better infrastructure to overcome various challenges related to adequate water supply," he said, while informing about the State Water Policy and other flagship schemes to address concerns about climate change.
Launching MegARISE at Tura, a project with a focus on the protection of vulnerable catchment areas in the state.
He said, "This project focuses on safeguarding the critical Umiew catchment in East Khasi Hills (EKH) district and the essential Ganol catchment in West Garo Hills (WGH) district. These catchments serve as lifelines for two of Meghalaya's most densely populated cities, Shillong and Tura".
He informed that the State government has partnered with KfW (German Development Bank) to implement the project. The project will benefit 106 villages across 39 micro-watersheds within these catchment areas. The project will be implemented over a period of 7 years with total financial outlay of Rs 344 crore and will be executed by Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA). (ANI)