Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma submitted a memorandum to DoNER minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday, requesting for an additional sanction of Rs 23 Cr under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) component for infrastructure requirement in the construction of the Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture (SICPAC) at Mawdiangdiang.
The project was funded under NLCPR at a cost of Rs 151.33 crore.
However, since the sanctioned amount did not cover the requirement of high-quality audio-visual equipment, the Meghalaya government had also requested a sanction of Rs 22.85 crore from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the North Eastern Council.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned an amount of Rs12.85 crore while the NEC has agreed to provide Rs10 crore for the same.
It may be mentioned that SICPAC has been designed as an iconic and state of the art centre which is expected to contribute to the development and promotion of the arts and culture of Meghalaya and the entire North Eastern Region.
He also discussed issues related to the sanctions for the construction of the ‘Rongjeng Mangsang A’dokgre road’, including a ‘bridge over River Ildek’ under the Ministry.
Speaking on the importance of the project, CM Sangma said, “The road is a strategic road of the State especially for the Garo Hills region that will provide the much-needed connectivity to a large number of villages in the area.”
He requested the minister to intervene in sanctioning the required amount to restart the construction work.
Further, the Chief Minister also apprised the MoS on the status of NLCPR, NESIDS and NEC projects in Meghalaya and sought his intervention in the sanctioning of ongoing projects in the State.
Lastly, he expressed his gratitude to the Ministry by saying, “We are grateful for the Ministry’s support to Meghalaya’s ambitions under his (Dr Jitendra Singh’s) leadership”.