SHILLONG, July 8: The State Cabinet on Wednesday paved the way for the establishment of the proposed St. Xavier’s University in the state by approving 50 acres of land at Mawkhanu.
The Cabinet also cleared a major Lakadong turmeric processing project, expansion of the second IT Park at Umsawli, and revised terms for upgrading the Orchid Resort into a five-star property.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said St. Xavier’s had sought 100 acres from the state government for the university and the Cabinet decided to allot 50 acres at a concessional rate of Rs 1 lakh per hectare.
He said the government viewed the project as an investment in youth and expected it to strengthen higher education opportunities for students from the state and the Northeast.
The Cabinet approved the purchase of 3.972 acres of land at Thadmuthlong under Laskein Block in West Jaintia Hills for an integrated Lakadong turmeric processing plant.
The land purchase is expected to cost around Rs 1.7 crore, while the entire project has an estimated outlay of Rs 187 crore. The Centre will provide the bulk of the funding, while the state government will contribute approximately Rs 30 crore to Rs 35 crore.
The processing plant is part of an initiative supported by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to promote flagship products from the northeastern states. Meghalaya has identified Lakadong turmeric, known for its high curcumin content and recognition in domestic and international markets, for development under the initiative.
The proposed facility is expected to increase local processing and value addition, while improving market opportunities for turmeric growers.
In the tourism sector, the Cabinet approved changes to the lease agreement for the government-owned Orchid Resort at Mawkasiang, enabling the private developer operating the property to upgrade it to a five-star category resort.
The revised terms require the developer to make a one-time deposit of Rs 5 crore and share 4% of the resort’s annual turnover with the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation. The arrangement is in line with terms applicable to other five-star tourism projects in the state.
The Cabinet further sanctioned an additional Rs 36 crore for the expansion of the second IT Park.
The additional allocation will be used to create more plug-and-play office spaces, expand the cafeteria and auditorium and install a centralised air-conditioning system to meet the requirements of prospective international companies.
Sangma said Cabinet approval was necessary as the additional expenditure exceeded 25% of the project’s original cost. Under a recently adopted government policy, any project whose cost increase exceeds this threshold must be placed before the Cabinet for approval.
