4 days ago
Meghalaya only state in country to achieve consistent growth rate of about 10% over 3 consecutive yrs post Covid: CM
Shillong: Meghalaya 'stands tall as the second fastest-growing state' in the country, just after Tamil Nadu, and the growth rate for 2024-25 at constant prices is 9.66%, which is double the state's growth rate of 5.1% in 2018 when the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance Govt came to power, CM Conrad K Sangma said in the course of his eighth consecutive Independence Day speech at the Polo Grounds here on Friday.
"Meghalaya is the only state in the country which has achieved a consistent growth rate of about 10% over three consecutive years post the Covid pandemic. How did Meghalaya transform from a state growing at 5% to a state growing at 10%? Meghalaya's growth rate in 2015-16 was 2%, 2016-17 was 5%, 2017-18 was 4%, 2018-19 was 5%, and 2019-20 was 5%. In contrast, the growth rates in 2022-23 were 10%, 2023-24 was 11%, and 2024-25 is 10%.
This achievement is the result of years of persistence, careful planning, and the hard work of the Govt," said the CM, who also holds the finance portfolio.
He said after spending four days in Meghalaya last month, meeting farmers, youth, entrepreneurs, women, and community members, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the state as a "shining example of a confident and self-reliant India".
The CM also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had recently recognised Meghalaya's development model, describing it as a "blueprint for an
Aatmanirbhar Bharat
".
The CM said similar sentiments were echoed by the chairman of 16th Finance Commission, development partners from World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and leaders from the private sector.
"We are at a midway point in the 15-year journey, from 2018 to 2032, when we commemorate 60 years of Meghalaya's statehood. In 2018, our GDP was less than Rs. 30,000 crore. In seven and a half years, we have doubled the GDP to Rs 59,626 crore. In the next seven and a half years, we will more than double our GDP from the current Rs 60,000 crore to Rs 1,40,000 crore. This increased GDP will lead to more jobs for our youth, more opportunities for every citizen, and make Meghalaya one of the top 10 states in the country," the CM said.
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