Shillong (Meghalaya), June 1: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Sunday opened a three-day Early Childhood Development science workshop here and said the real challenge is implementation, not new policies.
Speaking at Vivanta under the theme “From Science to State Action”, Sangma said his government since 2018 has focused on “doing things differently”. He cited MGNREGA and central schemes where better execution lifted utilization three to five times, and noted Meghalaya now runs nearly ₹12,000 crore in externally aided projects.
He used maternal health as an example: instead of more ambulances, the State pays local vehicle owners to ferry pregnant women and runs Safe Motherhood Homes near hospitals. Success, he said, must be measured by outcomes — higher farm output, not just canals built; stronger athletes, not just stadiums.
That logic shaped the MOTHER programme, converging health, education and social benefits around mothers and children, and a push that grew SHGs from 4,500 to 60,000 in eight years.
Van Leer Foundation’s Patricia Núñez Zamora shared Chile’s “Chile Crece Contigo” model, arguing services fail when they don’t coordinate. Additional Chief Secretary Sampath Kumar said Meghalaya’s integrated ECD mission has improved NHFS indicators, though 30% of children still face development gaps.
