The arrival of the Omicron variant is certainly not making things easy but the Meghalaya government is eager to commemorate its 50 years of statehood in as grand a manner as possible, given the prevailing constraints.
Planning Commissioner and Secretary, D Vijay Kumar, said today that, despite the challenges, the state government wants to celebrate the occasion in a befitting, yet safe, way to ensure that the people of Meghalaya ultimately benefit from the golden jubilee.
The government had been aiming for elaborate festivities but these had to be scaled down with the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases this month.
“Although we have decided to scale it down, it does not mean the end,” Kumar said. “We will celebrate 50 years of statehood in the most memorable manner but, of course, people will understand that the magnitude will obviously be much lower.”
Instead, many programmes and events will be spread throughout the remainder of the year, with the administration obviously hoping that bigger celebrations can be held when the third wave eases.
Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 thanks to the sustained efforts of the Hill State Movement. The Meghalaya government, ahead of the anniversary, has been trying to reach out to those who want to share their memories of the state’s 50-year journey.
“We have a long list of events planned for the people of the state so they can learn as well as enjoy the moment together,” Kumar said.
Originally, the budget for the festivities was as much as Rs 10 crore but now, with the changing situation, it is “way less”, the senior civil servant stated, adding, “However, be assured that through the year we will be having something or the other to link to the celebrations, such as launches and inaugurations, etc.”
Some of these inaugurations are long-awaited ones, such as the opening of Hotel Crowborough (pending for decades), the Marriott hotel, upgrades to the JN Sports Complex, he revealed.
