Central govt. to provide INR 23 cr. more for Meghalaya culture centre project

Shillong, Sep. 10 (PTI): The central government will provide the Meghalaya administration with an additional amount of around INR 23 crore to complete the infrastructure of a modern art and culture centre being set up here, officials said on Thursday.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma called on Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in New Delhi and requested sanction of INR 22.85 crore from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and North Eastern Council (NEC).

NEC is the nodal agency under the central government for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region.

Officials said that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs sanctioned INR 12.85 crore while the NEC agreed to provide INR 10 crore for the Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture (SICPAC) at New Shillong Township.

SICPAC is being developed as a centre which is expected to contribute to the development and promotion of the art and culture of Meghalaya and the entire NE region. The project is funded under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR).

However, the sanctioned amount of INR 151.33 crore was not enough for installing high-quality audio-visual equipment and the state government sought an additional INR 22.85 crore under NLCPR, officials said.

The broad objective of NLCPR scheme is to ensure speedy development of infrastructure in the North Eastern region by increasing the flow of budgetary financing for new infrastructure projects.

The chief minister also discussed with the DONER minister issues related to sanctioning of funds for the construction of a key road which will provide connectivity to a large number of villages in Garo Hills region.