Shillong: Former cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday said the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has made significant progress over its eight-year tenure, asserting that improvements across key sectors are visible on the ground despite ongoing criticisms.
Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said her assessment is based on extensive visits across constituencies during her campaign as a candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where she witnessed what she described as tangible development in multiple sectors.
Highlighting infrastructure as a key achievement, she said road connectivity across the state has improved considerably and remains one of the most visible indicators of progress under the present government.
Drawing on her experience as a long-serving MLA and former minister who handled portfolios such as education, urban affairs and public works, Lyngdoh said there has also been notable progress in housing and water connectivity. According to her, people across several constituencies have acknowledged improvements in access to basic services compared to earlier years.
She further pointed to changes in the policing system, stating that both the condition of police stations and the presence of law enforcement personnel have improved significantly over the past decade. Efforts to contain crime and strengthen institutional response mechanisms, she said, are more visible now than before.
On the education front, Lyngdoh described the sector as having undergone a “major transformation”, citing improved infrastructure, increased institutional access and expansion of welfare schemes. Referring to her visits to residential schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, she said students are now benefiting from free education along with accommodation, uniforms and study materials. She also noted that scholarship schemes that were once difficult to access are now reaching students more effectively with support from both the Centre and the state government.
Lyngdoh also credited the government for strengthening the healthcare system, including the upgradation of primary and community health centres and the creation of more opportunities for medical and paramedical personnel.
In the agriculture sector, she said government interventions are helping farmers adapt to changing economic conditions, particularly in regions such as Jaintia Hills where livelihoods were affected by restrictions on coal mining. She observed that farmers are increasingly organising themselves into groups and engaging in more structured and collective farming practices.
She further pointed to major infrastructure and urban development initiatives, including the upcoming Assembly building and the expansion of the New Shillong Township, as examples of long-term planning. According to her, improved road networks and infrastructure development are expected to ease congestion in Shillong and boost economic activity.
Lyngdoh added that tourism activity in the state has increased noticeably, contributing to livelihoods and strengthening the local economy, while investments in sports infrastructure are also gaining momentum.
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While acknowledging that challenges remain due to population growth and rising aspirations among the youth, she maintained that the overall trajectory of development under the MDA government has been positive. She said many ongoing initiatives are expected to have long-term impacts on the state’s growth and that the contributions of the government, its leadership and administrative machinery should be recognised.
Responding to allegations of illegal coal mining and corruption under the MDA government, Lyngdoh said such claims are not uncommon in governance and must be substantiated with evidence. She stressed that there is a difference between perception and proven wrongdoing and added that legal and institutional mechanisms are in place to address violations through due process.
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