Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday inaugurated the Shillong Government College of Engineering, the first government engineering college of the state.
The project was undertaken by Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) and constructed at the cost of Rs 26 crore and constructed in the Mawlai area.
The chief minister in his address said the focus of his government has been the youth for the past five years and with that in mind the government has initiated a slew of programmes.
He said the government has surveyed and interacted with over 90,000 youths and has come up with a road map to channelise their potential. He further informed that different programmes related to entrepreneurship, sports, and music that are being initiated by the government have been drawn from such studies.
"Youth is an asset and power we have, if we use their energy in the right manner, we can ensure that Meghalaya can be the best state in the country, as the youth will play an important role in driving the future of our state," the chief minister added.
He said that "if we plan to upscale learning at the age of 20s, we will not be able to get the best, hence, the government has initiated programmes that ensure proper nutrition of a child and early education in a systematic manner."
The chief minister said the government will continue to focus on human capital development as an investment for Meghalaya's growth.
The engineering college will cater to the degree course of three technical branches - civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mining engineering with an intake capacity of 30 for each branch.
The government has created 55 posts which include 36 teaching and 19 non-teaching posts.