Govt to provide 50% subsidy for entrepreneurs operating luxury tourist vehicles

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 9, 2022

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced that the Meghalaya Government will be launching a new program to induct 200 luxury tourist vehicles where 50 percent subsidy will be provided to entrepreneurs who will be owning and operating these vehicles.

He also said that under the homestay innovative program, individuals are being provided a subsidy of upto 70 percent for constructing homestays costing upto Rs 10 lakh. “We are covering 100 homestays in the current financial year and will be targeting 1,000 homestays for 2022-23 with an allocation amount of Rs 10 crore,” he added.

The Government will also launch electric buses and e-buggies at the major tourist attractions to enhance the ease of movement of tourists and to promote low-impact tourists, Sangma said. The allocation for the tourism sector is Rs 173 crore for 2022-23, he added.

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He also said that two major ecotourism projects are being implemented at a cost of Rs 1,450 crore and under these projects, tourism infrastructure will be built at around 50 different locations over the next five years.

As part of these projects, Sangma said that hospitality complexes including high-value accommodation units shall be built at Sohra, East Khasi Hills, Nokrek, West Garo Hills, Mawlyndep, Ri Bhoi, Siju, South Garo Hills, Nongkhnum, West Khasi Hills, Thadlaskein, West Jaintia Hills, and Dalmagre, South West Garo Hills.

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Allocating Rs 120 crore for the IT sector in 2022-23, which is an increase of 31 percent over the allocation in the current financial year, the Chief Minister said the Shillong Technology Park, built at a cost of Rs 62 crore was inaugurated recently and has created 1,500 jobs directly. The demand for office spaces has already exceeded its capacity. The government will be taking up the second phase of the technology park in 2022-23 and when completed it will create about 4,500 jobs over the next few years.