Shillong, May 1: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said Meghalaya is the second fastest-growing economy in the country with a consistent growth rate of 10 per cent, while asserting that the state’s economic growth must directly benefit workers and labourers.

On International Workers’ Day, we recognise the hands that build our homes, our roads, and our future. We are happy to mark this day with the launch of a series of transformative welfare initiatives for our construction workers, honouring their invaluable contributions to the… pic.twitter.com/qby9CDeAqr

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) May 1, 2026

Speaking at the state-level celebration of International Workers’ Day held at U Soso Tham Auditorium in Shillong, the Chief Minister said the event was being organised at the state level after a long gap to recognise the contribution of workers, labourers and the working class.

The programme was organised by the Office of the Labour Commissioner and attended by Labour, Employment and Skill Development Minister Methodius Dkhar as the guest of honour.

Addressing construction workers, labourers and beneficiaries, Sangma said Meghalaya’s target of becoming a 10-billion-dollar economy is aimed at ensuring inclusive growth.

“More than 5,000 projects worth Rs 2,900 crore are being implemented in the state, creating around 20,000 jobs for the people,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said Meghalaya offers one of the highest wages for unskilled labourers in the country.

“Meghalaya is giving Rs 525 per day for unskilled labour, making it the third highest-paying state in the country after Karnataka and Goa,” he said.

Highlighting welfare measures for workers, Sangma said the state has collected nearly Rs 400 crore as labour cess, which is being utilised to provide health, accident, pension and educational benefits to registered workers through welfare boards. He urged labourers and workers across the state to register themselves to avail the benefits.

During the celebration, the Chief Minister launched several welfare initiatives and schemes aimed at supporting labourers and workers in the state.

Among the schemes launched was CM LIGHT (Chief Minister’s Labour Income Grant for House Builders and Trademarks), which will provide direct financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to active registered Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW).

He also launched ENABLE (Enhancing Necessary Ability for Better Learning Environment), a scheme to support repair and renovation of educational institutions to create safer and child-friendly learning spaces for children of registered workers. Under the scheme, five per cent of seats in educational institutions will be reserved for children of workers registered under BOCW.

Another initiative launched was BUILD (Boosting and Upgrading Infrastructure for Livelihood and Development), aimed at infrastructure improvement, employment generation and skill development.

The Chief Minister also distributed startup toolkits to registered BOCW beneficiaries who completed approved skill training programmes. The one-time support initiative aims to improve employment readiness in construction-related trades.

In addition, Sangma launched the Digital Labour Chowk mobile application to digitally onboard construction workers into a transparent and verified welfare system. He also announced that the Meghalaya Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (MBOCWWB) will bear the social security coverage expenses of registered workers under PM-SYM, PMJJBY and PMSBY schemes.

Cheques, sanction letters and welfare benefits were also distributed to beneficiaries during the programme.

Also Read: Meghalaya CM stops convoy to meet protesting vocational teachers; assures help ‘within limits’

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