Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 156/24

HONORABLE CHIEF MINISTER UNVEILED THE FOUNDATION STONE OF SHILLONG ROPEWAY PROJECT

Honble Chief Minister Shri Conrad Sangma unveiled the foundation stone of the Shillong Ropeway Project at Shillong Peak on Wednesday Shri Conrad K Sangma stated that the Government has been determined about the project since its inception emphasizing This is something that Shillong City deserves

The Honble CM acknowledged the collaboration of the Dorbar Shnong of Riat Laban highlighting the importance of a broadminded approach for the success of government projects He remarked Can you imagine the Dorbar will be receiving 1 crore of revenue every year This is a very strong and powerful message of teamwork and how the tourism sector can make a difference in the local peoples lives The CM also emphasized the significant share of revenue that the Dorbar will receive from the project expressing optimism that it will be utilized for the benefit of youth society and poor residents of the locality He stressed that cooperation between the community and the government will enhance the growth of the tourism sector

Shri Paul Lyngdoh Honble Tourism Minister noted the historical and cultural significance of the project stating This is also the cradle of Hima Shillong the seat of Lei Shillong Befittingly so in the 150th anniversary of Shillong as the capital town The capital was shifted from Sohra in 1874 and today this is the best possible gift to the city of Shillong on its 150th year

Shri Sanbor Shullai acknowledged the ropeway as a longpending project of the constituency and praised the Chief Ministers efforts in making it a reality The Honble CM handed letters of acceptance to KEC Company and POMA along with a cheque of 15 crore to the Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun for the lease amount of the land

About the Shillong Ropeway Project, The passenger ropeway project has been proposed that will take tourist directly from the Lower Terminal Point located in Riat Laban near Madan Laban Nepali Secondary school, Laban Shillong City to the Upper Terminal Point near the Shillong Peak. The Lower Terminal Point will be the “drive” station and the Upper Terminal Point will be the “return” terminal. Both of these, stations shall also be developed to provide adequate space for comfortable boarding and de-boarding of passenger etc. and accommodate all other necessary passenger facilities. The system design is Monocable Detachable Gondola System and fully enclosed cabin with automatic doors. The length of the ropeway is 896 m and the Level Difference is 299 m. The capacity of the ropeway is 600 passenger per hour at a speed of 5m/second and the journey time is about 4 minutes.

The Shillong Peak Ropeway Project is an externally aided initiative funded by the New Development Bank under the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project MEIDP The Detailed Project Report DPR was prepared by RITES Limited and the total cost of the project is 17503 crore The project aims to promote tourism and enhance visitor experiences Surroundings near the stations will be beautifully landscaped with public amenities such as cafeterias vintage shops kiosks rain shelters public toilets and tea or coffee shops

Dignitaries present at the event included Shri Paul Lyngdoh Honble Tourism Minister Shri Sanbor Shullai Chairman of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation Shri D P Wahlang Chief Secretary Dr Vijay Kumar D IAS Commissioner and Secretary of the Tourism Department and Shri Cyril V D Diengdoh IAS Director of Tourism

Press Release No. 157/24

WORLD AIDS DAY OBSERVED IN KHLIEHRIAT

World AIDS Day 2024, themed Take the Right Path, was observed today in Khliehriat at a programme organized by the Mihmyntdu Community Social Welfare Association MCSWA Khliehriat in collaboration with the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society MACS Shillong and the District Legal Services Authority DLSA East Jaintia Hills District The event took place at Khliehriat West Community Hall Khliehriat

The programme was graced by SubDivisional Officer Sadar East Jaintia Hills District Shri Aditya Verma along with the presence of District Medical and Health Officer DMHO Dr D Shylla Medical and Health Officer Incharge Opioid Substitution Therapy OST Dr J Nongtdu Medical and Health Officer Incharge Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre Dr D Nongpluh Panel Lawyer DLSA Shri P N Swer Assistant Director Social Protection and Mainstreaming MACS Shri Ajoy Lanong Programme Manager MCSWA Smti Rinibeth Patlong Chief Functionary MCSWA Shri Aris J Nongkynrih Traditional Heads ASHAs and SelfHelp Group SHG members

Key Addresses and Themes Shri Aditya Verma SubDivisional Officer Sadar highlighted the importance of World AIDS Day in raising public awareness about HIV and AIDS. He lauded the collective commitment of all stakeholders and stressed the theme Take the Right Path underscoring the need to Educate and empower youth Organize public awareness programmes, provide quality health services, Advocate for community involvement, eliminate stigmatization and discrimination against individuals living with HIV and AIDS

He also emphasized the 959595 strategies of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS UNAIDS aimed at ending the HIV epidemic by 2030 Shri Verma encouraged continued efforts by the districts health department and called for collaborative approaches to eradicate the epidemic

Dr D Shylla District Medical and Health Officer spoke about the annual observance of World AIDS Day as a platform to educate people on preventive measures against HIV He elaborated on the different transmission modes of the virus and stressed the importance of community involvement urging individuals to know their HIV status through testing He also highlighted the availability of health services in the district and encouraged spreading awareness about HIV and AIDS within communities Other Speakers including Dr J Nongtdu Dr D Nongpluh Shri Ajoy Lanong and Shri P N Swer also addressed the gathering emphasizing various aspects of HIV prevention health services and the importance of testing

Highlights of the Programme The event featured A short play performed by SHG members from Ladrymbai and an extempore speech competition with participation from ASHAs. The programme concluded with a call to action for collective efforts to combat HIV and AIDS spreading the message of prevention and awareness across the community