Shillong, Feb 26: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said there is an increase in the unemployment rate in the state.
The matter was raised by Rajabala MLA Dr. Mizanur Kazi by way of a question in the Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to the question on the unemployment rate, the chief minister quoted two sets of figures that revealed an increase in the unemployment rate.
“If you look at surveys, they differ — 6.0 in 2022-23 and 6.2 in 2023-24 in the periodic labour force survey, and 3.1 in CMIE’s estimate. These are based on sample size”, he said.
Admitting the unemployment rate, Conrad said that as 50% of the state population is youngsters, the government faces challenges.
He also referred to the creation of 3.6 lakh jobs by the government through various initiatives.
The chief minister also assured of digitizing the employment exchange.
To further questions, the chief minister denied that the government employment programmes have failed.
Meghalaya’s young demographic profile demands sustained interventions and that schemes like FOCUS and CM-Elevate are already yielding results.
“Maybe we have not yet fully fulfilled the goal, but it is a process and we are on the right track,” he said.
The chief minister said that Meghalaya’s population was uniquely young. “About 50% of our population is below 20 years. I am not giving an excuse, but realising these challenges, we have to bring more programmes for jobs through different missions.”
On the FOCUS scheme, Sangma said Rs 140 crore had been sanctioned to 22,500 producer groups, benefiting 2.1 lakh people, while FOCUS+ had reached another 1.5 lakh beneficiaries. “Farmers have benefitted. A lot of them have given testimonies that because of the money they got, their production has improved. We will ensure more impact in the future,” he added.
When asked about accessibility of self-employment schemes, Sangma pointed to CM-Elevate, a flagship umbrella programme covering entrepreneurship, tourism, sports, wellness and other sectors.
“Within 20 days, we received 22,000 applications — so many that we had to close the portal temporarily. People can apply through the Meghalaya One portal,” he said.
Regarding the digitisation of employment exchanges, he replied that though he did not have the exact status, every aspect of governance is moving towards digitisation, and steps are being taken to digitise the employment exchange too.
Answering a question of East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh on grievance redressal, Sangma highlighted the CM-Connect platform. “Dial 1971 and you can get information on any scheme. If you file a complaint, it goes to the joint secretary or nodal officer, and the dashboard reflects it in my office. If a file is pending for 10 days, it turns red, and the issue is addressed. It ensures accountability,” he said.
