MTDC to complete draft vision document by January

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 4, 2019

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will complete the drafting of the vision document to achieve the 20 years goal, by January next year.

This was informed by the Chairman of the MTDC Sanbor Shullai in his report on the performance of the corporation, submitted to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma here on Wednesday.

“A draft vision document of the corporation is being prepared so that the MTDC can set a target of Rs 100 crore and 100 unit within a period of 20 years to tap the potential of tourism industry and also to create self employment opportunity,” Shullai said.

He informed that the vision document will be completed on January 2020 and the same will be launched by through the CM’s office to enable the MTDC to achieve the 20 years goal.

According to him, the MTDC is going to create four more units by way of inviting expression of interest to increase its revenue and to create 500 jobs by the end of 2020.

In his report, Shullai also informed that during the last 18 months, the challenges towards compilation of pending accounts for the last several years has been overcome and several cost cutting measures including legal fees and outsourcing of AMC by non local has been stopped and local experience youth in the relevant field has been engaged to achieve the same.

“The cost of Rs 2 crore approximately has been saved by the corporation annually and additional cost cutting measure to minimize leakages has been taken up by the board to enable corporation to achieve additional Rs 2 crore by 2020,” he said.

Stating that the sale activity of the hotel operation is being taken up by the board, he said in order to increase the hotel occupancy, the corporation is going to start online booking soon for which the department has launched its website and also developed software to stop manual billing.

On the Crowborough hotel project, the chairman informed that the lesee has entered into an SPV agreement with Aura Hotels and Resorts pvt ltd who have been granted a loan of Rs 45 crore by MIDC for the completion of the project.

“The board of directors has taken initiative to strictly monitor the project to enable timely completion of the project. The project has shown good progress and is being constantly monitored by the engineering wing of the MTDC. On operation of the hotel by September 2020, the corporation will receive the lease rental of over Rs 1.73 crore per annum,” he said.

On the other hand, Shullai further informed that the present turnover of the MTDC is Rs 20 crore and the target turnover of the corporation has been kept at Rs 40 crore by the end of 2023.

“The target turnover has been assigned keeping in mind the potential of the corporation and the growth of tourist in the state,” he said.

The board has also proposed to seek the approval of the state government to run or leased the Mawdiangdiang property developed by the corporation including other hotel unit run by the Directorate so that the revenue generated will be utilized by the corporation to create additional hotel unit at a greater pace and the vision of 100 unit within 20 years can be achieved earlier than the target period, Shullai said.