Northeast 'daring to dream': Mega football stadium, five-star hotels soon in Meghalaya, says CM

SHillong, The ne neighborhood is "daring to stargaze" in defining its ontogeny story, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said here on Monday and announced that in the next few years, eight new five-star hotels are set to be opened in his state.In his address at a summit, he also underlined that time is "crucial" for the northeast, and "we just need to connect dots".Sangma said the northeast today has the political will, policy and thought process to grow, and its states are "daring to dream"."Earlier, we didn't dare to dream, but now we are, and that's a confidence we wish to convey to the investors looking to invest in our region," he said.The 'North East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition 2026' is being hosted from June 15-16 at Lariti Performing Centre in Shillong.Union Ninister Nitin Gadkari, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, and several other dignitaries were also present on the dais."In the last eight years, our budget has grown twice as much. And, I am confident that by 2028-2029, it will grow to thrice of what the volume was eight years ago," Sangma said in his address."Our capital expenditure, the expenditure on infrastructure and investment we do, it has grown six times in the last eight years," he said.In Meghalaya, today the state is doing something that "we had not even thought of earlier", Sangma emphasised.In this country, "the biggest dedicated football stadium is being built in Meghalaya, with a capacity of 40,000, and worth about ₹800 crore investment, a FIFA-certified football stadium, which can host any international-level game," the Meghalaya chief minister said.He said Meghalaya is going to host the National Games next year. "We are making full preparations for it."Sangma pointed to the several buildings and other infrastructure projects which are underway in Meghalaya."Our new assembly building is ready, our new secretariat building is getting built, and perhaps in a year or year and a half, we will be able to start our adminstrative work from there," Sangma said."Meghalaya earlier didn't have a single five-star hotel. In last five years, we have started two five-star hotels. And, you will be happy to learn that in the next three-four years, eight new five stars are set to be opened, their agreements signed, and work had started on four of them," he added.The local airport in Shillong was built but closed, it has opened again, and big commercial operations will be able to start from it in the next 1-1.5 years, Sangma said.Before the inaugural session, Gadkari, the Union minister for road, transport and highways also attended a CEO roundtable and inaugurated an exhibition by various companies at the summit venue.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.