Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said empowering the youth, farmers, women and rural entrepreneurs is the key to development, which is “not just about big projects”. Sangma, while, speaking at the inauguration of a ‘Youth Mela’ here, said though GDP figures and infrastructure projects were important, these are “incomplete unless linked with improvements in health, education, rural tourism and agriculture”. Underscoring his government’s efforts to encourage inclusive growth, he said entrepreneurship should not be confined to large businesses alone.
The three-day Youth Mela on launched on August 25, highlighting the remarkable success of Meghalaya’s community learning centres that have already supported thousands of young entrepreneurs across rural areas. The event at All Saints’ Hall showcased the impact of the Chief Minister’s Youth Centres (CMYC), which have disbursed Rs 19.71 lakh to entrepreneurs who have generated Rs 15.71 lakh in sales revenue. The programme has registered 5,000 entrepreneurs and identified 55 ‘Nanopreneurs’ for specialised support. During the inauguration, Sangma emphasised the government’s comprehensive approach to development.
“Development cannot be simply measured by a number; development is an aspect that has to be seen from multiple fronts,” he said. “It’s incomplete if we are not able to connect our farmers, our rural entrepreneurs, our women, our youth.” The CMYC initiative, launched in 2022 through partnerships with Sauramandala Foundation, Project DEFY and India Ultimate, operates as free-access learning hubs in rural communities. These centres provide self-designed learning spaces called NOOKs, libraries, and resources for activities ranging from bakery and carpentry to coding and electronics.