SHILLONG, APR 16: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said the government will issue a white paper on the Lumpongdeng issue, even as he maintained that no construction is planned on Lumpongdeng Island and appealed to the Green Tech Foundation chairman to end his hunger strike.
Asked if the government would clarify the issue through a white paper following the GTF chairman’s refusal to end his fast demanding scrapping of the tourism project, Sangma said, “sure no problem, we will give that.”
On the protester’s health, he said medical teams are monitoring the situation.
“We have asked the medical department to provide some support. We have been monitoring since last evening and I am told some medical attention has been given,” he said.
“Of course, they are not willing to leave the location which is fine in the sense that we do want them to go to the hospital for their health but after repeated request they have decided not to go but at the same time at that level where they having in Malki, medical attention is being provided and manpower is there and doctors are there and medical attention is given to them,” he added.
Sangma reiterated that the project site is not on Lumpongdeng Island.
“We have made it amply clear to them and to the people of the state that there is no construction there. The construction is going to take place where the Orchid hotel is right now, which is at Umiam, that is where the construction of the five-star hotel will take place,” he said.
“The main issue which they have, which is the construction on Lumpongdeng Island , has been amply clarified and everybody is quite satisfied with that aspect. Therefore, I don’t see the issue anymore and therefore, there is no reason for them to continue this as their concerns were already addressed,” he stated.
“As head of the government, we have appealed to them as we are concerned about their health and we don’t want their health to deteriorate, we don’t want to get ill, therefore, since the issue has been resolved, there is no need to continue with the fasting,” he added.
On the tourism push, Sangma said the Taj group is bringing investments of over Rs 300 crore.
“It is going to be one of the best resorts, if not in the country but the best in the eastern region it will be the best,” he said.
He said the five-star hotel is part of a broader strategy.
“Our strategy is to put up 7-8, we have 10 projects in line so 10 five-star hotels are in the pipeline but there are 3000 homestays being also constructed which will help more than 3000 families,” he said.
“One has to look at tourism holistically from the overall strategy and you cannot see tourism from one particular activity because that will give you only a narrow view of things. We have to be broad minded, we have to think of investments and we have to think of job creation and these are ways we can create the jobs,” he added.
