SHILLONG, Sep 3: Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Friday said the state government will not force the villages in the state to open up for tourism-based activities.
“Be it schools or tourism, the local authority will have the power to decide what they have to do,” Sangma told media persons.
He said villages, which are not keen on welcoming the tourists now, can resume their tourism-related activities later.
Earlier, the Dorbar of Syiem of Hima Sohra had urged the East Khasi Hills district administration to limit the entry of tourists. It was apprehensive that a huge flow of the tourists to Sohra might spread the COVID virus there.
The state reopened its doors for tourists and allowed the resumption of tourism-based activities from September 1.
Recently, the CM had stated that as the COVID cases have fallen considerably in the state, the government wants the resumption of more activities so that normalcy returns early.
“We are working in some small areas where there are certain confusions about the COVID protocols,” Sangma said while making it clear that the government will open up everything in a phase-wise manner and give flexibility to those who want to open up.
The office of the Syiem (traditional head) has made a proposal to the government to set up an entry point at Mawkdok. It is for checking the vaccination status of tourists from within and outside the state before they visit Sohra which is a tourist hotspot.
According to the government protocols, tourists can visit the state after taking both vaccine doses. Those who have taken a single dose and the unvaccinated people can also visit the state but they will be required to produce a negative report of an RT-PCR, TRUNAT or CBNAAT test done within the last 72 hours of the visit.
