Shillong: Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma has urged the youth of the state to look for opportunities not only within the state but also beyond it by taking advantage of the rich resources that the region has to offer.

He said that the youth of the region have the potential to compete and must think beyond reservations and to strive hard to achieve their goals.

During his address at the Regional Colloquium organised by the CBCI office for Tribal Affairs in collaboration with the North East Office for Tribal Affairs which was held at Pastoral Centre in the city on Thursday, the Chief Minister stated that most of the tribal areas in the country are economically backward and neglected.

However, he also added that with social media penetration, the mindset of the people is changing for the better.

“Our Government’s commitment is to accord more thrust on the youth sector and required policies to address the issues and challenges are being worked out to ensure that our youth are productive”, said Sangma.

He said that the theme of the colloquium – ‘Tribals Towards Unity, Equity and Sustainable Development with Human Rights Approaches’, is very close to his political belief and ideology, and assured that all support would be extended by the Government to address issues concerning the welfare of tribals.

Expressing concern on the challenges and issues related to the development and welfare of tribals, Sangma said, “Our people are very simple and committed. Many think that we are not enterprising but if we are given an opportunity, we are equally talented and enterprising”.
“Through entrepreneurship activities, the tribal society can be uplifted. Our Government is committed and will work closely with like-minded organisations to ensure that there is productive growth in Meghalaya”, he added.

(The shillongtimes)