Sitharaman inaugurates mall in Shillong

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday inaugurated a shopping mall at Polo here in Meghalaya, which has been built under the Smart City Mission.
The shopping mall has been developed as a green building was built at a cost of Rs. 100.33 crore.
The complex spreads over 1.70 lakh square feet and has over 100 shops, office spaces, food courts and parking area for nearly 100 vehicles. It.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who accompanied the Union Minister for the inauguration, praised the centre’s developmental initiatives for the northeast and appreciated her for always being kind and considerate towards Meghalaya and the entire North East.
Noting that the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme has helped the North Eastern region to develop its infrastructure projects, Sangma said, “Roads, buildings across Meghalaya owe their existence to SASCI.”
Following the inauguration, the Finance Minister chaired the North East Roundtable on the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, engaging with the scheme Interns in an interactive session to understand their experiences as well as feedback on future developments of the scheme,
Notably, Meghalaya is set to unveil a series of transformative infrastructure and development projects, as part of its push for economic growth, sustainable tourism, digital inclusion, and women’s empowerment.
As part of Meghalaya’s vision to strengthen its public infrastructure, key projects will be launched tomorrow during Sitharaman’s visit to the Lariti Auditorium in Shillong.
These projects include redevelopment of Umiam Lake into a world-class sustainable tourism destination (Rs 99.99 crore), MICE and Cultural Infrastructure Hub at Mawkhanu, a flagship project to position Meghalaya as a destination for business tourism (Rs 99.99 crore), Mawkhanu Football Stadium, India’s largest dedicated football stadium, with a 40,000-seat capacity and state-of-the-art academy (Rs 732 crore) Working Women’s Hostels in Shillong, Jowai, Byrnihat, and Tura to support women’s workforce participation (Rs 132 crore).
Sitharaman will also take part in virtual inauguration of 75 digital libraries in remote areas, aimed at bridging the digital access gap for rural youth (Rs 162 crore).
The Meghalaya Film Tourism Policy, 2025, reflecting the state’s growing prowess as a destination for film tourism will also be launched by the Union Finance Minister.
Another key moment of the visit will be the flagging-off of premium pineapples from Meghalaya to Lulu Group, Dubai, marking a breakthrough in the state’s agri-export potential.
“Organised under the IFAD-supported Megha-LAMP initiative, the consignment reflects Meghalaya’s growing integration with global markets and its support for farmer collectives,” an official statement said.
On July 12, the Finance Minister will head to Sohra to interact with SHGs, FPOs and Lakhpati Didis and the management of the Ramakrishna Mission School.