India has proved its mettle once again as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ with its two made-in-India vaccines, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik said.
Addressing the 72nd Republic Day celebrations in Shillong, he said, As Indians, we stand proud and I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister of India, on behalf of all the citizens of Meghalaya, for this monumental achievement.” He informed that the first dose of the vaccine was administered to 518 people in the State and the government intends to vaccinate about 28,000 health workers in the first phase of vaccination.
The Governor acknowledged that most of the initiatives taken to manage Covid-19 was on the right track and said it was the greatest achievement as Meghalaya continues to be amongst the states with the lowest number of active cases and case fatality rates. “The Government’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic have been appreciated nationally and even by the World Health Organization,” he added.
He also thanked the frontline workers including doctors, health staff, police, municipal staff and district administrations who have been working tirelessly over the last 10 months and said that the civil society, including traditional institutions like local durbars and nokmas, village committees, youth organizations, women’s groups and media have played a crucial role by supporting the government in managing the pandemic effectively.
Talking about the ‘Restart Meghalaya Mission’ as a concerted response to the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, he informed, “We made a commitment to spend Rs.14, 515 crore on a range of developmental activities over the next three years. I am happy to inform you that many of these programs are being well implemented. This government has, over the last three years, given an unprecedented focus toward improving infrastructure.”
The Governor spoke on various development issues and funds received to develop road sector, drinking water and power.
“We began this decade with a vision and a promise of the Meghalayan Decade. A decade that would witness Meghalaya progressing to be among the top 10 Indian states within the next 10 years, both in terms of per capita income and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals,” the Governor said.
