Shillong, July 10 (IANS) – On Thursday, officials announced that Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would travel to Meghalaya for three days starting on July 10 to attend a number of events.
According to a Meghalaya government official, the visit would start with the Polo Shopping Complex’s inauguration, and then there will be a meeting in Shillong under the Project Monitoring Information System.
The Northeast Conclave and the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs campus at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong will be officially opened by the Finance Minister on July 11.
Conrad K. Sangma, the chief minister of Meghalaya, would be the honoured guest. Sitharaman will also open an exhibition at the Lariti International Centre in Shillong that would highlight farmers and entrepreneurs, as well as visit the Shillong Tech Park in Umsawli.
The Union Minister will visit a number of stakeholder groups and attend a number of programs during her tour in order to examine development projects and engage with beneficiaries from a variety of sectors. On July 12, she would meet with industry participants at the Courtyard Marriott in Shillong.
A visit to Laitkynsew Village’s Farmer Producer Organisations, Lakhpati Didis, and Women Self-Help Groups would also be part of the day.
She would go to Ram Krishna Ashram School in Sohra on July 13, the last day of her trip.
Earlier this week, Sangma argued for increased funding for the smaller northeastern states, pointing to their distinct developmental, economic, and geographic difficulties.
On July 7, Sangma brought up the matter when he met with Arvind Pangarhiya’s 16th Finance Commission members in New Delhi.
“North East States, while having their own unique and distinct issues, share common concerns and challenges,” the Meghalaya Chief Minister wrote in a post on his X handle. In this regard, a joint memorandum detailing the region’s unique requirements and developmental priorities was submitted to the 16th Finance Commission by Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, and Meghalaya.