SHILLONG: The state government has justified its multi-crore expenditure for holding the Cherry Blossom festival.
An official admitted that the Forest Department alone will spend Rs 87 lakh for the four-day festival from November 8 in the city.
Other departments which will also spend several lakhs of rupees for the festival include the Tourism and the Sports and Youth Affairs.
A senior official with the Tourism Department said this will be an occasion to attract tourists and downplayed the criticism that the government is over-spending at a time when the state is reeling from financial crisis.The Finance Department had this year initiated several austerity measures to control expenditure.
“Financial crisis does not mean that we should not initiate useful programmes,” the official added.
In 2016, the government had spent Rs 91.26 lakh on the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Critics have pointed out that visitors can enjoy the sight of cherry blossoms even without an exclusive festival.
