Shillong: Projecting Meghalaya as a rapidly advancing state with strong economic momentum, Governor C.H. Vijayashankar on Monday said the state has emerged as the second fastest-growing in the country after Tamil Nadu and is firmly on course to triple the size of its economy by 2032.
Addressing the state-level celebration of the 77th Republic Day, the governor said Meghalaya recorded a real Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth of 9.66 per cent in 2025—nearly double its growth rate in 2018. He extended Republic Day greetings to the people and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B.R. Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, while also remembering Meghalaya’s freedom fighters U Tirot Sing, U Kiang Nangbah and Pa Togan N. Sangma.
Vijayashankar said Meghalaya is the only state to have maintained an average real GSDP growth of around 10 per cent for three consecutive years after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state’s economy has doubled since 2018, and under Mission 10, aligned with the Meghalaya Excellence Framework, the government aims to expand it from USD 5 billion in 2022 to nearly USD 16 billion by 2032.
On law and order, the governor said the overall situation in the state remained peaceful over the past year, including during major festivals and national events. Referring to the Assam-Meghalaya border, he said timely intervention in Lapangap village of West Jaintia Hills helped prevent escalation and allowed farmers to complete harvesting. He added that coordination with the BSF along the India-Bangladesh border continues, with Village Defence Parties activated in vulnerable areas.
Highlighting governance reforms, Vijayashankar said service delivery has improved significantly, with 212 services notified under the Meghalaya Right to Public Services Act, more than 150 of them available online. File processing time has been reduced from 26 days to 2.5 days through eFile and eProposal systems, while over 43,000 grievances have been addressed via CM Connect. A cadre of more than 1,300 Village Data Volunteers has been created to assist citizens, particularly senior citizens, women and persons with disabilities.
On policing and justice delivery, he said an anti-terror squad has been set up, forensic infrastructure strengthened with DNA and cyber forensic units, and recruitment of 3,000 police personnel is in its final stage.
The governor said major infrastructure projects are underway, including a new Secretariat in New Shillong, an additional secretariat building in Tura and integrated administrative complexes in several subdivisions. Over the past seven years, about 3,500 km of roads have been built under PMGSY, while projects worth Rs 2,200 crore were sanctioned under state schemes last year.
On connectivity, he said land acquisition for the expansion of Umroi airport has been completed, efforts are underway to operationalise Baljek Airport in Tura, and plans are in place for heliports across districts.
Tourism continues to grow, with 16 lakh visitors recorded in 2024 and a target of 20 lakh by 2028. Under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Homestay Mission 2025, up to 70 per cent financial assistance will be provided for new homestays. The governor also highlighted the state’s “concert economy”, the emergence of Shillong as an IT hub, improvements in healthcare and education, and announced that Meghalaya will host the 39th National Games in 2027.
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Calling for collective responsibility, Vijayashankar urged citizens to support the cleanliness drive to make Meghalaya a garbage-free state and contribute to building a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous society.
