Tourism dept accused of cheating Tura talent society

TURA, Sep 1: In a shocking development, the Garo Hills Talent Development Society (GHTDS) on Sunday accused the Directorate of Meghalaya Tourism of cheating them by issuing a false fund sanction letter in connection with a talent hunt programme in Tura, West Garo Hills in 2023.
“In September 2023, a letter from the Shillong Director’s office indicated that funds had been sanctioned. Despite making two trips from Tura to Shillong to obtain confirmation, no further progress was made, and the funds were not disbursed. A staff member from the Shillong Tourism office advised us to present the Director’s letter and follow up at the District Tourism office in Tura. However, the Tura office in charge reported having no information from the Shillong Director’s office,” the society said in a statement on Sunday.
“We were then instructed to resubmit our application for the 12th season of the Talent Hunt, held in 2023. Although we received the Director’s fund sanction letter in September, no action was taken until December, resulting in a waste of time and resources,” the society added. Highlighting the seriousness of the situation, the society has urged authorities, ministers, opposition leaders, and the concerned department to investigate and address officers who are not performing their duties effectively.
“We submit our application for financial assistance from the tourism department every year. While we have not made forceful demands or lodged complaints until now, being deceived in this manner is unacceptable. We only sought the funds that were legitimately applied for, without requesting additional resources,” the society stated.
The society also mentioned that there was even an instance last year where the department misspelled ‘Meghalaya.’