Shillong, February 23: Meghalaya has generated 3.66 lakh jobs between 2019 and 2025, citing a KLEMS-based estimate done along Reserve Bank methodology.
This was informed by the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in his reply on the debate to the Governor’s Address in the Assembly on Monday.
Agriculture accounted for 1.90 lakh jobs, with floriculture (789), mushroom cultivation (4,078), fruit development (12,714), organic farming (47,927) and Lakadong mission (15,333) contributing to the sectoral total.
“Every district has benefitted,” Sangma said, noting organic farming employment in West Garo Hills (5,279), Ri-Bhoi (4,301) and East Khasi Hills (4,728). Hotels added 12,683 jobs, transport 9,835 and manufacturing and recycling 24,926.
Sangma said state schemes supported about 10,000 people under YES Meghalaya, 11,050 under Aqua Mission, 1.7 lakh under CM-CARE and 9,000 under PRIME, touching “close to 8 lakh” beneficiaries overall.
“It is difficult to satisfy everybody but we are trying,” he said.
On wages, he said Meghalaya’s minimum wage of Rs 525 is the country’s second highest after Karnataka’s Rs 581 and the highest in the northeast.
“This reflects the intention of the government… to support in the most possible way the poorest of the poor,” he said.
Further, Sangma said Meghalaya is now the country’s second-fastest growing economy with a 9.66% real GSDP growth rate, behind Tamil Nadu’s 11.91%.
“This is a matter of deep satisfaction… the efforts made in last eight years have led to this growth,” Sangma said, adding the state maintained an average of 10% for three years.
The government is targeting Rs 85,000 crore GSDP, or about a $10 billion economy.
