TURA, April 27: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has announced that his MDA-II government has decided to include the ‘Happiness Index’ in the state budget for the next five years to ensure happiness of the public is part and parcel of governance.

The chief minister revealed this during a special felicitation organized for him at the Tura district auditorium on Thursday morning. The felicitation for his return to lead the state for another five years was organized by the NPP in Garo Hills.

“Overall happiness has to be taken into account while governing the state. We need to see if the economic development we are bringing in is in line with the happiness and contentment of the people. Government and governance must include people’s participation,” the Chief Minister stressed.

He remarked that when his government initially toyed with the idea of including the Happiness Index, many were confused and asked him. “They asked what it meant and what it would do? I told them only one thing- Happiness must come from inside, and not from outside. If people are content with governance, then they are happy.”

The chief minister reiterated his government’s commitment that governance and government must go hand in hand with active participation of the public which is why the Happiness Index is being included in the state budget from this year onwards.

It is worth mentioning that Mizoram is the happiest state in India, Kanpur the happiest city in the country, and Finland in Europe the happiest country in the world.

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