The Meghalaya story: Realising aspirations

With government support and community spirit aligned, the state offers a blueprint for a vibrant, confident. and self-reliant India

- Nirmala Sitharaman

Recently, on my tour to Meghalaya, I travelled by road from Guwahati to Shillong. The road was wide and traffic flowed smoothly. This was once an old, winding road, perilously narrow and choked with traffic, where smoke-emitting lorries made travel miserable. My first stop was at the backwaters of the scenic Umiam lake in Ri Bhoi district. The waters of the rivers, Wah Umkhrah and Wah Umshyrpi, were dammed in the 1960s to harness their hydel power. Today, the man-made lake has also become a hub of water sports and adventure activities.

Tourism has given a yearlong livelihood opportunity to those in the lake's vicinity, emblematic of the government and citizens’ approach to places with potential for tourism. A project transforming the lake into a world-class tourism hub with a crafts village, cultural pavilion and botanical gardens is being funded under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme.

We reached Shillong by evening to attend the first North-East Roundtable on the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS). This gathering brimmed with the energy and determination of young interns who seek to realise their dreams through opportunities created by the PMIS, piloted to connect the youth with top companies across India. Nito S Kiho, a 22-year-old from Dimapur, Nagaland spoke to me, with the cool air befitting a lead guitarist in a band, about how he wished to start a clothing brand with his friends after the internship.