Meghalaya's political, economic, and social landscape underwent a significant transformation in 2024, marked by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s ambitious vision for a USD 100-billion economy by 2047, the National People’s Party (NPP) securing a majority, a devastating flood, and a multi-crore road project scam.
On Independence Day, during a ceremonial address at the Polo Grounds, Sangma unveiled the 'Viksit Meghalaya' roadmap.
“I aspire for a 'Viksit Meghalaya'… a USD 100-billion economy by 2047 when we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our statehood and the country’s 100 years of independence,” he declared.
August brought a major boost to the NPP’s strength when three Congress MLAs – former state Congress chief Celestine Lyngdoh, Gabriel Wahlang, and Charles Marngar – joined the ruling party.
This raised the NPP's numbers to 31 in the 60-member Assembly, granting the party an outright majority within the coalition comprising the BJP and UDP.
Tragedy struck the state in the form of torrential rains that triggered catastrophic flooding, claiming 17 lives, including two children.
The West and South Garo Hills districts were the worst-hit, with large-scale devastation also reported from the North and East Garo Hills.
The state also grappled with a road project scam amounting to over Rs 2,300 crore.
A senior Public Works Department official said, “Several lapses forced the government to lodge an FIR into the road project.”
The project, linking Shillong to Tura via Nongstoin and Rongjeng, was part of the Special Road Development Programme-North East, approved in 2010. Nine individuals, including state engineers and private contractors from Telangana and Haryana, were named in the FIR.
In an interview earlier this year, Sangma addressed concerns over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), asserting that Meghalaya’s Sixth Schedule areas were exempt from the law.
He reiterated the state’s demand for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime, highlighting a 2019 resolution passed by the Assembly seeking its implementation.
“Our concerns are that anybody from outside the country is a non-Indian, and illegal immigration is illegal immigration,” he remarked.
On a positive note, the state witnessed progress in higher education and healthcare. For the first time, a private university was granted approval to establish a medical college.
The PA Sangma International Medical College, under the University of Science and Technology, began its MBBS course with an initial intake of 150 students, including 64 from Meghalaya.
Meghalaya's multifaceted journey through 2024 reflected its ambitions, challenges, and resilience as it moved towards a future marked by economic growth and sustainable development.
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