Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began her four-day official visit to Meghalaya on Thursday with a series of engagements in Shillong, focusing on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and urban infrastructure development. Accompanied by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and others, Sitharaman chaired an interactive session of the North East Roundtable under the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS), where she interacted with interns, industry leaders and officials from various states of the region.
The PMIS seeks to bridge the gap between education and employment by offering structured internship opportunities to young people across the country, particularly from remote areas. Earlier in the day, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman officially inaugurated Shillong’s first modern shopping mall, located in the Polo area. The event was attended by several key figures, including Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, and senior officials likeChief Secretary, D P Wahlang Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar, and Urban Affairs Director PK Boro.
Developed under the Shillong Smart City project, the Polo Shopping Mall was built at a cost of ₹100.33 crore by the Badri Rai Company. The mall spans a total built-up area of 1.70 lakh square feet and is a six-storey structure. Its design includes 109 retail spaces ranging from 396 sq ft to 4,470 sq ft, as well as eight office spaces, varying in size from 830 sq ft to 8,050 sq ft. Additionally, the mall features an exclusive gaming zone and a food court covering 15,270 sq ft.