From Our Correspondent
Mawkyrwat, Sep 4: South West Khasi Hills with its natural beauty is one of the districts blessed by the creator and the state government is now in a planning stage to develop tourism sector in the district, said Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh while inaugurating the Synrang Mawrin tourist spot at Mawten, South West Khasi Hills on Monday.
Mawten houses more than six tourist spots that include Synrang Mawrin cave, Synrang Ringai lake, Od Ringai Falls, Banber rocks, Sohlaper rocks and 55 Bat Bio Hotspot.
Lyngdoh said that with the launching of the tourism policy, the state government is expected that Mawten and thousands of other villages where people are still living below poverty line will be able to uplift their income and livelihood. He advised the people to people to work hand in hand with the government, the process is fastened.
“We will ensure that the funding coming through the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which we have signed an agreement with will be speeding up the process. We can then connect the tourism circuits so that tourists will be able to plan their visit accordingly,” Lyngdoh said.
The tourism minister also said that in the last few days he had taken up the issue on the need to create a separate tourism police for the safety of tourists and at the same time to ensure that tourists do not engage in loitering and destroying of environment.
He also informed that about 1000 numbers of home stays have been sanctioned up-to March 2024.