SHILLONG — Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday attended the seaplane demonstration held in Umiam Lake in Shillong. The event was organised by the Meghalaya government’s transport department in collaboration with the Union government’s Ministry of Civil Aviation. Speaking at the occasion, Sangma, said: “In the late 90s to the mid-2000, as a budding entrepreneur, I travelled to various parts of the northeastern region of the country which is about a 20-hour journey by bus to state capitals particularly to Kohima, Imphal and other places to build up my business. I realised the gap of connectivity and challenges which I had faced then and when we came to the government in 2018, aviation became a key component for upgradation and change.” He further said: “With the introduction of the UDAN scheme in 2008 it became a major game changer in terms of connectivity for India and particularly for the state of Meghalaya and the northeastern region in general. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it a point to connect the regional headquarters to other smaller states and we have seen this unprecedented change in the last eight years. Now we can travel in an hour’s time to the other northern...