President of India Attends a Civic Reception hosted by Government of Meghalaya

Shillong: The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu attended a civic reception hosted in her honour by the Government of Meghalaya at Raj Bhavan, Shillong on January 16 evening.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Meghalaya is one of the “Ashta Laxmi” states. When Indians turn to the East in obeisance”, we pray to Sun God as the source of light and seek to dispel the shadows of ignorance and evil. That’s why it would be correct to say that there cannot be “Bharat Uday” without “Purvodaya”.

The President said that the government is working in mission mode to ensure connectivity, employment, and infrastructure in the North East. With Look East evolving into Act East, the government envisages the north eastern states as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia.

The President said that Meghalaya holds great opportunities and potential for tourism-related activities. She was happy to note that the government is implementing many projects for the development of tourism infrastructure. She expressed confidence that the 11th edition of the International Tourism Mart, held in November last year in Shillong will be a great help in highlighting unique tourism products, rich biodiversity, and unique intangible heritage including local traditions, dance forms, arts, handicrafts and handlooms to not only domestic but also an international audience.

The President said that not only in areas of tourism but in other sectors such as agriculture, information technology, horticulture etc Meghalaya holds great potential. Initiatives like the Shillong IT Park and the Meghalaya Broadband Policy 2018 have helped Meghalaya’s IT sector achieve new heights. A vibrant IT ecosystem, educational institutions such as NIT and IIM combined with pleasant weather and lower operational costs give Meghalaya a comparative advantage to be a global hub for IT services in this era of data and information.