SHILLONG : Meghalaya currently has two operational five-star hotels, both in Shillong, while eight more are proposed across Shillong, Umiam, New Shillong and Tura, the Assembly was informed on Wednesday.
Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira gave the figures during Question Hour in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly while responding to a question on the state’s five-star hotel capacity and upcoming projects.
The House also took up questions on the Shillong Ropeway, tourism-related skill training, mapping of tourist destinations and environmental clearances for tourism projects.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the Shillong Ropeway project is currently under construction and has a sanctioned cost of ₹151 crore.
“The project is going on as of now, it’s a ₹151 crore project and 36 months is the time of completion of this project,” Conrad said.
The project was started in February 2025 and is scheduled for completion in February 2028, he said.
6,196 trained for tourism-related skills
Questions were also raised about opportunities for Meghalaya’s youth in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Conrad said the Meghalaya State Skills Development Society (MSSDS) had trained nearly 6,196 people over the last three financial years under its skilling programme.
“They are giving the necessary training to the youth of our state for tourism,” he said. The Chief Minister said the training is intended to prepare young people for opportunities emerging from the state’s growing tourism sector.
Government says tourist spots have been mapped
Leader of the Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma questioned whether the government had carried out an exhaustive exercise to identify potential tourist destinations and develop them into connected tourism circuits.
Conrad said the government had already mapped potential locations and that the exercise had guided the selection of tourism projects.
“We have mapped and it is based on this mapping only that these 144 projects were taken up,” he said.
Meghalaya still has many lesser-known destinations with tourism potential.
“Our state is really beautiful and there are so many hidden gems that many people don’t know so we are continuously mapping more and more locations,” Conrad said.
The Chief Minister also explained that the government was selecting clusters with stronger tourism potential rather than spreading projects randomly across the state.
“If we just go randomly and start putting one project here and one project there with no coordination and no planning, then obviously the outcome will not be as productive,” he said.
The homestay scheme also contains a loan component and that selected clusters were chosen with the aim of creating tourism activity that could generate income for local residents, Conrad said.
Conrad says ropeway followed environmental procedures
Mukul also questioned the environmental safeguards followed before construction of the Shillong Ropeway, particularly its possible impact on biodiversity, wildlife, flora and fauna.
He asked whether an Environmental Impact Assessment had been carried out and whether a public hearing had taken place before the project was taken up.
Conrad said the ropeway is being funded through gap funding under PM-DevINE and maintained that the project could not proceed without complying with the required environmental procedures.
“Whatever prescribed norms that were put in by Government of India for ropeway projects throughout the country, we have followed every single process that is required,” he said.
The Chief Minister said forest clearances had been approved and a public hearing had been conducted, adding that the government had followed the guidelines prescribed by the Centre.
“Forest clearances have been approved, public hearing has been done, and all guidelines set by the Government of India have been followed,” Conrad said.
He also offered to provide the relevant guidelines and procedural details followed for the project.
