SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday emphasized the government’s holistic tourism strategy, announcing that the proposed Taj Resort and Spa will be in the existing Orchid Umiam property, addressing concerns about development in the Umiam area.
“The tourism strategy is a holistic strategy. This requires infrastructure to be created, hotels to be created, five-star properties to be developed but at the same time to ensure that our people get the benefit of tourism development, homestays need to be pushed,” Sangma said.
Addressing concerns about Lumpongdeng Island, Sangma clarified that no permanent structures could come up in Lumpongdeng Island as per the MoU, and the island will be used for activities with temporary structures.
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Highlighting the government’s focus on local benefits, Sangma said, “We need five stars but at the same time, we also need small restaurants, and we also need homestays so that local people can benefit.”
The Chief Minister pointed out that Meghalaya has one of the most aggressive homestay programmes with around 800 homestays being constructed and another 3000 targeted in the next few years.
“While these concerns are being noted, let me assure the citizens of our state that we are ensuring that a balance is struck between overall economic development and balance between our environment and at the same time ensuring that high end luxurious resorts come in but at the same time, smaller homestays and facilities where our local people benefit from it do also come up. We will require everybody’s support to ensure that we are able to take this vision forward and I hope that this clarification will help people understand the larger strategy and the larger objective that our government has,” he stated.
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