Tura, Mar 11: The success of the first state games in Garo Hills- Meghalaya Games 2024 in Tura, has been overshadowed by the antics of an event management company selected to host it after artists who performed there accused it of non payment of their dues even after 50 long days had passed.
The Event management for the Meghalaya games had been outsourced to a company from Shillong and the firm organized the weeklong sporting extravaganza including the gala opening and grand finale of Meghalaya Games 2024.
But, close to two months now, the musical artists, local vendors and even homestay owners, remain unpaid.
Raising the plight of the artists and others, who have been made to sit and wait it out, Garo Hills most famous musician Browny R Marak- lead vocalist of Riprap rock band, dashed off a letter to deputy commissioner of the host district Jagdish Chellani in Tura.
In his letter, Browny reminded the administration that several artists, including his band Riprap and the all women group Haystack Ladies and others have not been paid for their performance during the closing ceremony and the issue needed to be addressed at the earliest
In a letter to the DC he stated that the assurance of disbursal of Payment was to be made promptly after the show but was not done yet and that he along with other artist from Tura are yet to be get the payments.
But the problem for the event management company doesn’t end there. Multiple homestay owners and hotels in and around Tura have also brought forth their unpaid bills against the Shillong based firm.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the non payment of their dues, the hotel and homestay fraternity from Tura are threatening legal action if the payments are not cleared in the coming days.
One for the owners who spoke to Hub News said ” first they haven’t paid, now when we call them they don’t receive calls. This shows how unprofessional they are.”
The 2024 Meghalaya Games in Tura also came under criticism after sub standard food was served in one of the venues by the vendors to the athletes, which was rectified after the intervention of the District Administration.
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