Infrastructure set up in the State includes a well connected
road and rail network, power, transportation, communication, banking,
medical facilities, education, etc. To obviate the problems of prospective
entrepreneurs in acquiring and developing sites for industrial purposes,
industrial estates, export promotion industrial parks and growth centres
have been created and more are likely to come up in the near future. The
Government of Meghalaya has proposed to undertake major infrastructure
projects in the State in order to attract investors for the overall development
of the State.
Roadways
Six national highways pass through Meghalaya. The State
has 7,328 km of both surfaced and unsurfaced roads.
Railways
Guwahati (103 km from Shillong) is the nearest railway
station connecting the North-East region with the rest of the country
through a broad gauge track network.
Aviation
The only airport in the state at Umroi, 35 km from Shillong
is functional. It is the only airport in Meghalaya having landing facility
for smaller aircrafts and is having flight connected with Kolkata, Aizawl
and Silchar. Another small airport is planned near Tura. Borjhar, the
most important airport in the North-Eastern Sector have facility for bigger
jet aircrafts (like Boeing and Airbus) is 124 km from Shillong. There
is also a helicopter service connecting Shillong to Guwahati and Tura.
Power
In North East India, Meghalaya has the largest hydro-electricity
potential, second only to Arunachal Pradesh. The generation transmission,
transformation and distribution of electricity is entrusted to the Meghalaya
State Electricity Board. Meghalaya is extremely rich in thermal power
potential. It has vast coal reserves. This coal is having high calorific
value with low ash content but high sulphur content, which is suitable
for setting up thermal power projects. Understanding the importance of
power as a prime mover for the development of the State, the Government
had initiated a number of measures to develop the power sector to its
fullest potential for the prosperity of the people.
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