Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in his three-hour long reply to the debate on the budget in the Assembly today said that his government’s focus for the next five years will be to ensure Meghalaya becomes a Rs 80,000 crore economy and also to create five lakh job opportunities.
Citing an example how the tourism sector will add to the economy of the State, Sangma said that from the Taj Vivanta Hotel about Rs 54 crore is expected to add to the GSDP and the government is expecting to add Rs 106 crore to the GSDP from Courtyard by Marriott.
He also said that the State government is targeting to come up with 10,000 home-stays which will in turn bring an average Rs 2,920 crore to the GSDP
“Similarly large accommodation units which are there, about 500 of them will be created. They may not be all five stars, but the different units will be there. On an average again, putting Rs 4500 rupees in terms of the rate and about 70 per cent occupancy, we expect about Rs 2190 crore to be added to the GSDP,” Sangma said.
He added that if the government is able to achieve from these different home-stay projects and also from being able to have more hotels, the tourism sector alone is expected to add about Rs 6000 crore to GSDP in the State.
Highlighting that this is the manner in how the government is approaching, Sangma informed that the employment that is generated in the tourism sector through these different programmes will roughly add approximately 45,000 jobs to the economy.
Sangma stated that one should imagine the similar calculation for the IT sector, agriculture sector and several others.
“The different steps that we have mentioned in the budget are the ways and means in which we will be able to achieve these two very important goals of having a $10 billion economy and number two, creating five lakh new job opportunities,” he added.
Sangma said that people in the country know Meghalaya for the Meghalayan Age, for Lakadong turmeric and also for being the rock capital of the country.
“So these are the areas which we are known for. And therefore let us not make a negative impact on the negative opinion of ourselves. We have a great future; we have a great plan to achieve those different plans that we have. And let us not be the people who will try to create a negative image of ourselves,” he said.
Concerning the concern about huge debt in the State, Sangma informed the House that there is nothing to fear about debt or a debt trap.
“Loans are part of the government’s expenditure. Every government takes loans. But while we take loans, the Government of India has prescribed a system and a format in which you can take it. The government of India has put a limit on the amount which you can take and no state can take beyond that even if you want to. So there is nothing to worry,” Sangma said.
