Move to invest crores on festivals questioned

SHILLONG, Sep 2: Meghalaya government’s move to earmark Rs 14 crore for festivals in the state has prompted the All Meghalaya Dancers Association (AMDA) to question the decision.
Talking to reporters, AMDA president Kitbok Thabah said that the state government needs to set its priority, which should benefit the youth and the citizens of the state.
According to him, the government should have decided to invest on nurturing talents of the local youths instead of spending crores on promoting festivals.
The president of the association has also urged the state government to provide funds for a dance institute in the state. Stating that a dance institute is long overdue, he claimed that many youths are unable to participate in national and international event owing to lack of government’s support.
Maintaining that the association has been seeking financial assistance from the state government for the last two decades, Thabah stated that there has no positive response from the authorities.