Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 373/09

PRESS RELEASE

The first meeting of the newly constituted Meghalaya Task Force for Development of Tourism in Meghalaya was held today under the Chairmanship of the Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr D D Lapang who is also incharge of Tourism.

The Co-Chairmen of the Task Force are both the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma and Mr Bindo M Lanong and the Deputy Chairman is the Chief Secretary, Mr Ranjan Chatterjee. The other members of the Task Force include Parliamentary Secretary, Dr P W Khongjee, Chairman MTDC, Mr Ronnie V Lyngdoh, Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Coming One Ymbon, Mrs Deborah Marak, ex-Deputy Chief Minister, Principal Secretary to CM, Mr A Thakur, Commissioner & Secretary Tourism, Mrs R V Suchiang, Anish Gandhi, Consultant Mr Subhash Goyal and representatives of the MTDF among.

The term of reference of the Task Force is to prepare a 10 year perspective plan for Tourism Infrastructure Development, to suggest measures to facilitate investment in Tourism Projects and also to monitor implementation of projects under Plan Scheme and under CFA etc.

Important issues discussed during the meeting were the development of Road, Air and Railway connectivity with the rest of the country and within the State, Construction of welcome centres with tourism information office and food plaza at all entry points to Meghalaya, upgrading of the Tourist Information Offices in all the major cities of the country, activitating an interactive website of Tourism Department, building of a State of the Art Inter State Bus Terminal in Shillong, Finalising of the State Tourism Policy which is in the fine tuning stage, Development of the Golf Course and inviting interested investors to develop Golf Course in other parts of the State and also on having a calendar of events that would be organised in a year and also organising of Festivals in line with the wine festival besides the regular festivals that the State observes.

Summing up the discussion, Dr Lapang said that Tourism being one of the top priorities of the State Government, all efforts are being made to develop Tourism as an industry which can raise the economic conditions of the people of the State. He said that to boost Tourism in the State, much needs to be done especially in terms of connectivity and other infrastructure development. He said that Marketing & Publicity with a Brand Name of Meghalaya in the line of Kerela alongwith Human resource is the strategy that the State is embarking upon to develop Tourism in the State of Meghalaya.

Meanwhile the Chief Minister informed that the Task Force meeting will again be held sometime in the month of October to review the actions taken on the decisions taken in this meeting.