Shillong, March 6 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday said that the true measure of governance lies not merely in infrastructure development but in improving the daily lives of citizens, as the state government marked eight years in office with the “Our Magnificent Meghalaya Vision 2032” programme in Tura.

Addressing the gathering at the P.A. Sangma Sports Complex, Sangma reflected on the journey of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government since 2018, acknowledging the challenges faced while expressing gratitude for the support of the people.

“Over the last eight years, our journey has been filled with challenges and difficulties. At times, it has been painful and certainly not easy. But through the blessings from above, the love of the people and the support of our citizens, we have been able to overcome most of these challenges,” the Chief Minister said.

Sangma said that while infrastructure such as roads, schools and new administrative buildings are important indicators of development, the government’s greatest satisfaction comes from the positive impact of its policies on people’s lives.

“People often ask what the greatest achievement of the last eight years is — whether it is the new Secretariat in Shillong, the Additional Secretariat in Tura or the roads and schools being built. But the greatest satisfaction I get is when we can bring a smile to the face of a citizen,” he said.

The Chief Minister also spoke about what he described as three forms of development — development that people hear about through announcements, development they can see through infrastructure, and development they can feel through real changes in their lives. “The most important is… development that you can feel — when a life is saved in a hospital, when a child receives education in a school, or when a farmer’s livelihood improves because of government support,” he said.

During the programme, the government distributed financial assistance worth around Rs 220 crore to beneficiaries under various schemes, including CM Farm+, CM Elevate SEED, CM Homestay Mission and Green Meghalaya+.

Scholarships and uniform grants were also released for thousands of students across the state.

–IANS

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