"Blessing for state": CM Sangma as Meghalaya gets NE's biggest bottling plant

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, on July 30, inaugurated a Rs 340 crore PepsiCo bottling plant at Mendipathar town in North Garo Hills district.

Mendipathar is the only town in the state having a railway head.

Calling the project a "blessing" for the state, Sangma said, "This is a symbol of the economic growth that Meghalaya is on track to achieve. Nobody would have ever imagined that the largest bottling plant in the NE would be right here in Mendipathar." He said the project would raise aspirations among the youth and stimulate ancillary industries.

"We can anticipate that different avenues will come up in the region," he said.

Spread across 37 acres in the Mendipathar Industrial Area, the bottling unit is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for hundreds of people in the region.

Recalling the long-delayed promise of industrial development in Garo Hills, the CM said the Mendipathar industrial area was conceptualised in the 1990s, but saw no investment for over 30 years. 

"There was hope and expectation, which never got fulfilled," he said, paying tribute to the vision of his late father and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma.

"Today is a day of hope and fulfilment of that vision he had for Mendipathar and Meghalaya in general," Sangma said, while thanking local Nokmas and residents for donating land for the industrial area decades ago.

Sangma said the plant would also lead to economic growth in Mendipathar through increased demand for housing, retail and other services.

He further announced that another beverage plant is being set up in the Tikrikilla-Bajengdoba region, with 90 per cent of construction work already completed.

Deputy Speaker Timothy D Shira, Power Minister A T Mondal, PHE Minister Marcuise Marak, MIDC Chairman James K Sangma and other MLAs were present at the inaugural event.

The CM also thanked Varun Beverages Chairman Ravikant Jaipuria and Varun Jaipuria for their commitment.

"Ravikant ji is a visionary. Though the target was nine months, the project was completed in 11 months," he said, lauding the company's time-bound execution.