Final day of Meghalaya’s Cherry Blossom Fest to begin after Church services

Organizers directed to adjust timeline of Cherry Blossom Fest

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 26: The state government has directed the organizers of the upcoming Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival to start the programme scheduled on November 19, after church service following opposition of its conclusion on a Sunday.

Informing this today, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong also assured that the government will ensure that next year the festival will not be held on a Sunday.

“See if you talk about Sunday or Saturday or Friday see sometimes it happens the last day sometimes it happens it ends on Sunday or may be the starting it happens on Sunday or Saturday or Friday. Let me just assure the people of the State this is not that we really wanted to do it during Sunday but this is a programme of 3-4 days so it happened that it ended on a Sunday,” Tynsong said while adding “What we decided is we have already instructed even those organizers for this time since it ended on Sunday let the function start maybe after 3 pm in the afternoon of Sunday let it start after the church service.”

“I would appeal to everybody to let us be cool and calm and we will see from next year onwards to calculate the date accordingly so that everybody is happy and everybody is also benefited out of this festival,” he added further.

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh had recently stated that there is a political motive behind opposition against the festival.

Tynsong however said there is nothing wrong in people expressing their sentiments about the issue.

“I would like to say that this is the sentimental step because it is so sentimental. People I think you understand well here it is known as a Christian state. Some of our church leaders or even members of the NGOs they have that sentiment, I appreciate that sentiment no doubt about it, from the government side I don’t say it is wrong it is right but for this festival which is going to happen next month I have already told you for the ending part to adjust accordingly, we have decided, we already ask the organizers to start the function only after the church service,” the deputy chief minister said even as he concluded by saying “We are all sinners, God have mercy on us 24×7 including you.”

CM ELEVATE program a game changer for the youth

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 21: A momentous day in Meghalaya’s history unfolded as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma, officially inaugurated the much-anticipated CM-Elevate program at the Vivanta, Shillong.

This transformative initiative sets the stage for empowerment, entrepreneurship, and economic development in the state, promising a brighter future for Meghalaya’s youth.

Addressing the occasion, Conrad Sangma said the government aimed at engaging, employing, and empowering the youth of Meghalaya through entrepreneurship, which he believed serves as a holistic solution for fulfilling business needs.

He said, “We aim to create entrepreneurship opportunities for over 20,000 individuals across various sectors over the next three years. This initiative comes with a substantial investment of approximately 300 crores.”

Speaking about the partnerships that the Government has established with both public and private sector banks to facilitate easy access to credit for aspiring entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister stated that financial support ranging from 35 to 75 per cent of the project cost to mitigate credit risks can be offered.

He said, “To minimize risks and barriers, we extend upfront financial aid to entrepreneurs and have collaborated with banks for financing. The program offers term loans covering up to 95% of the project cost, with varying loan terms (ranging from 5 to 15 years) and moratorium periods (between 3 to 18 months), coupled with variable interest rates across different schemes. We have created three lakh jobs in the private sector in the last five years, and I am sure the number will increase in the coming years. I have always held the belief that the government’s role should be limited to formulating policies, fostering a conducive ecosystem, and providing essential facilities to support entrepreneurs. This is just the beginning, and as we progress, we will refine and adapt our approach, allocating additional funds as necessary.”

In his speech, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said, “The CM-ELEVATE Programme underscores our government’s unwavering commitment to the betterment of our youth and the future of Meghalaya. We anticipate around 700 direct employment opportunities and numerous indirect job opportunities, benefiting the youth of Meghalaya. We expect more than 2000 direct and indirect job opportunities through these three schemes of the Tourism Department.”

The Minister also highlighted four noteworthy schemes under the Tourism Department, namely, Green Villa Scheme, Homestay Scheme, Motorhome Meghalaya Scheme, and Prime Tourism Vehicle Scheme.

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh while delivering her speech highlighted the program’s importance in the context of agriculture and said, “The CM – ELEVATE program represents another significant step in strengthening Agri-infrastructure in the State. By offering 50 per cent financial aid for the establishment of polyhouses, the program promotes the cultivation of high-value vegetables and floriculture crops. In its initial phase, the program aims to subsidize the setup of 1,000 poly houses, fostering agricultural development in Meghalaya.”

Dr Vijay Kumar D, IAS said, “It creates an ecosystem for the development of entrepreneurship. The highlights of the program include the introduction of 15 different schemes. Our goal is to support up to 20,000 businesses in the next five years. With as little as 4,000 rupees in capital, people can start a business, and the government provides subsidies ranging from 35% to 75% to support these endeavours.”

The CM-ELEVATE PROGRAM is a comprehensive solution tailored to the diverse business needs of Meghalaya’s citizens. Notably, the program features a user-friendly single-window portal for applications, ensuring a seamless experience for aspiring entrepreneurs.