In a major push to upscale tourism infrastructure across the State, the Meghalaya Cabinet on Friday approved the transfer of over 273.41 acres of unutilised land belonging to the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) and its subsidiaries to the Department of Tourism. The move is part of a broader strategy to monetise underused government land and repurpose it for high-impact tourism projects under a lease and revenue-sharing model. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh, while briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, said the collaboration between departments is essential to achieve the government’s tourism vision and reiterated the need for inter-departmental support to unlock Meghalaya’s tourism potential.
“I will brief you on two major ones — these are repurposing of MeECL land and I have mentioned in my earlier briefings the move to further enhance and upscale the tourism sector needs the support of the line departments,” Lyngdoh said.
He informed that unutilised government land would now be leveraged to support tourism initiatives. “So today I am happy to share with you that in order to monetize the unutilised land of MeECL, and its subsidiaries for the development of the tourism projects on lease and revenue sharing mode.”
The Tourism Minister said the Cabinet had cleared the land transfer proposal. “The Cabinet today cleared the proposal whereby the power department through the MeECL has decided to part with 273.41 acres of land and lease them to the department of tourism.”
He said the lease agreement would follow government norms. “This transfer of land from the power department to the tourism department will be as per government policy which is first on a 60 years lease period extendable by 30 years.”
Lyngdoh added that the land would be used for new tourism ventures. “This land then be used for the development of various tourism projects.”
