Shillong, April 26: The Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday asked the state government to take measures to increase the tourist footfall into the state.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the meeting, PAC chairman and Nongthymmai legislator Charles Pyngrope said, “With the Covid pandemic slowly easing away, we expect a lot of tourist footfall into Meghalaya but at the moment Meghalaya still lacks behind in terms of the number of tourists visiting us as compared to the previous years and compared to other NE states and other states of India.”

“Therefore, there is a need for a very strong cohesive action to be taken by the government to ensure that we get a lot of tourists, which means that the revenue of the state will increase, the employment opportunities also will grow,” he said.

He informed that the tourism department has assured the committee to do its best to ensure that the facilities for the promotion of tourism are given top priority.

Revenue loss from leased properties

The committee also reviewed the revenue loss on the leased properties of the tourism department. The Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report had stated that the revenue loss in the department is a serious matter as many private parties have not paid to the government for the leased properties.

When asked, the chairman said any property that is constructed in the tourism sector, management of such properties should be given on a PPP mode or leased mode where a private entity with the requisite experience can take over and run the place.

“The ultimate aim of the Ministry of Tourism in sanctioning these projects was to ensure that the tourists visiting the state get the proper infrastructure to stay and to travel but at the same time when you lease out a property you are expected to get something in return.”

“That was coming in but subsequently with the Covid the lease money which had to be paid monthly had to be waived off. In that case, the audit will look at the loss point of view. The government has to justify that the reason for this deficit is because of certain reasons which has to be justified,” Pyngrope said adding “As of now with post Covid it has been stated by the department that the revenue that has to be accrued through lease is coming in now.”

Supplementing to this, PAC member and Mawsynram MLA Himalaya Shangpliang informed that the Commissioner & Secretary of Tourism has assured the committee that the department already has a policy of having a land bank and will accordingly take steps to promote its land at Mawdiangdiang and Umsawli and other parts of the state as tourist destinations.

He said the government official had also informed that the Crowborough hotel will be made functional by September this year adding that the soft launching will be done by July.

Swadesh Darshan scheme

On the implementation of the Swadesh Darshan scheme, Shangpliang said the committee was informed that under phase one of the project, Rs 99 crore was sanctioned for four projects of which three have already been completed while one is in the progress of implementation.

“In the Swadesh Darshan II, they have sanctioned a few projects in Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills. The report given by the department was that the progress of implementation is good and therefore we will be reviewing again after a few months on the progress of such implementation,” he said.

The MLA further informed that they have stressed on the importance of the premium tourist destinations to which the department replied that they are very much on the job.

Tourism Policy

Asserting the need to come up with a comprehensive tourism policy, Shangpliang said the committee has enquired if the policy laid in 2011 is in the implementation mode to which the Commissioner & Secretary replied that few decisions taken in that policy are already being implemented but they are in the process of redrafting the policy in view of the present new norms.

According to him, the tourism policy of the Government of India is also undergoing a change and, therefore, the Meghalaya tourism policy will also undergo certain changes, he said.