Shillong, February 23 Meghalaya has generated an estimated 3.66 lakh jobs between 2019 and 2025, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told the Assembly on Monday.
Responding to the debate on the Governor's Address, Sangma said that agriculture accounted for the largest share, with 1.90 lakh jobs, driven by initiatives such as floriculture (789), mushroom cultivation (4,078), fruit development (12,714), organic farming (47,927), and the Lakadong mission (15,333).
"Every district has benefited," the chief minister said, highlighting organic farming employment in West Garo Hills (5,279), Ri-Bhoi (4,301), and East Khasi Hills (4,728).
The hospitality sector added 12,683 jobs, transport 9,835, and manufacturing and recycling 24,926, he said, citing a KLEMS-based employment assessment prepared using the Reserve Bank of India methodology.
A KLEMS-based employment assessment is an analytical framework that estimates employment trends by evaluating labor input within the broader context of production factors: Kapital (Capital), Labour, Energy, Materials, and Services (KLEMS). It is primarily used to measure industry-level productivity and economic growth by analyzing how efficiently these inputs are used to produce goods and services, with employment figures (number of workers) serving as a key input into this modelling framework.
State flagship schemes have also expanded livelihood opportunities, with about 10,000 people supported under YES Meghalaya, 11,050 under Aqua Mission, nearly 1.7 lakh under CM-CARE, and 9,000 under PRIME, reaching "close to 8 lakh" beneficiaries overall, Sangma added.
"It is difficult to satisfy everyone, but we are trying," he said.
On wages, the chief minister said that 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 government's intention to support the poorest of the poor in the most possible way," he said.
Sangma further claimed that Meghalaya is now the country's second-fastest-growing economy with a 9.66 per cent real GSDP growth rate, behind Tamil Nadu's 11.91 per cent, adding that the state has maintained an average growth of around 10 per cent over the past three years. The government is targeting a GSDP of Rs 85,000 crore, or roughly a $10 billion economy.
He acknowledged that per-capita GSDP remains low but said Meghalaya has moved from 28th position in 2019 to 26th currently, attributing slower gains partly to a population growth rate of 0.95 per cent.
"Per capita GDP growth for Meghalaya, we are ranked number five in the country between 2019-2025," he said, adding that overall living standards have improved compared to 2018.
Highlighting policy initiatives, Sangma said the state has adopted a state anthem and symbols after 50 years, revived legacy projects such as the Croborough Hotel, and taken up the construction of a new Assembly building, linking these developments to broader economic momentum measured under the RBI labour-energy-services framework.
On support for local contractors, he said while large tenders follow central guidelines, smaller works are being directed to local operators, with spending rising from Rs 454 crore in 2019 to Rs 1,286 crore at present.
"A three-fold increase to ensure small-time contractors are able to take care of their livelihoods," he said.
The chief minister also announced that the government plans to build houses for families too poor to buy land, saying the move aims to ensure "the poorest of the poor are not left behind," particularly as major infrastructure projects reshape Shillong.
