VP Dhankhar praises Meghalaya’s growth, highlights shift from ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’
On Tuesday, New Delhi, May 13 — Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar underlined the importance of sustainable empowerment through support and guidance rather than reliance on freebies and doles. During an interaction with self-help group members from Meghalaya, he emphasized that genuine empowerment comes from enabling individuals to stand on their own feet."To empower the pocket of a person by freebies, by doles, is not true empowerment. True empowerment is that you hand-hold the person so that the person gets himself or herself empowered," Dhankhar said, adding that such empowerment leads to satisfaction, inner strength, and pride for families.
'Act East' Policy Driving Northeast Growth
Calling India’s Northeast a "jewel," Dhankhar recalled the 1990s ‘Look East’ policy and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for transforming it into the more dynamic ‘Act East’ initiative. He noted that this policy shift has brought about significant regional development.Highlighting Meghalaya's potential, Dhankhar said the state is poised for further growth in key sectors such as tourism, mining, information technology, and services.
Meghalaya’s Economic and Social Strides Applauded
The Vice President commended Meghalaya’s progress, especially in women’s empowerment and economic growth. He attributed these achievements to strong governance at both the central and state levels.He specifically cited a 13 per cent rise in the state's gross state domestic product (GSDP) as an indicator of its economic momentum, adding that a state's economy is best measured by its GSDP.
Dhankhar also praised the decade-long governance reforms driven by the Modi administration, stating that visionary leadership is critical in aligning government officials with development goals.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was present at the interaction.
