By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 18: Former Chief Executive Member (CEM) of KHADC, Titosstarwell Chyne on Monday suggested that the forthcoming Monolith Festival should be handed over to an event management firm which specialises in holding events on a bigger scale.
“The event management firm should ensure that the festival would be hosted as per the concept which was conceptualised by the Council,” Chyne said while speaking to The Shillong Times.
He was of the opinion that the Council should not be directly involved in hosting this festival since it is a humongous task, and instead form a committee to monitor the festival.
“We had constituted a forum when the Monolith Festival was held for the first time. May be a similar step can be initiated even this time around. But it will depend on the present Executive Committee (EC) how they plan to move ahead,” Chyne added.
He also said that the present EC should ensure that not a single penny should be spent from the Council fund for hosting the festival.
“When I was the CEM I had requested Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma that the Tourism department should support the festival,” Chyne said.
It may be mentioned that the KHADC has decided to hold the Monolith Festival after a gap of seven years, while touting it to be the ‘bigger and better’ version of the event.
The festival, last conducted in 2016, was halted due to fund constraints. However, the KHADC is collaborating with the Tourism department of the state to host the festival in a bid to highlight the Khasi cultures and traditions.
The CEM, Pyniaid Sing Syiem had earlier mentioned that the state tourism department is going to take care of assigning the tenders to expert event management companies in order to make the festival a national attraction. He also had added and that the monetary part would be taken care of by the state government.
The festival is to be held in the Khasi Heritage village, Mawphlang from December 4 to 9, the CEM had informed.
