Shillong: The Meghalaya Cabinet on Wednesday approved a series of decisions aimed at strengthening higher education, agriculture, tourism and information technology infrastructure in the state, including allotting land for the proposed St. Xavier’s University and expanding the second IT Park at Umsawli.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the government had approved the allotment of 50 acres of land at Mawkhanu for the establishment of the proposed St. Xavier’s University.
According to the Chief Minister, the university authorities had sought 100 acres from the state government. After deliberations, the Cabinet decided to allot 50 acres at a concessional rate of Rs 1 lakh per hectare.
Sangma described the decision as an investment in Meghalaya’s youth, saying the presence of a reputed institution such as St. Xavier’s would enhance higher education and create more opportunities for students from the state and the wider Northeast.
In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the purchase of 3.972 acres of land at Thadmuthlong in Laskein Block, West Jaintia Hills, for setting up an integrated Lakadong turmeric processing plant.
The project forms part of an initiative supported by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), under which northeastern states are encouraged to develop a flagship product. Meghalaya has identified Lakadong turmeric, a high-curcumin variety that has gained recognition in domestic and international markets.
The Chief Minister said the integrated processing plant is expected to strengthen value addition and improve market opportunities for farmers.
The total project is estimated to cost around Rs 187 crore, with the bulk of the funding coming from the Centre, while the state government will contribute approximately Rs 30–35 crore. The land acquisition itself is expected to cost around Rs 1.7 crore.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the lease agreement for the government-owned Orchid Resort at Mawkasiang to facilitate its upgrade into a five-star resort by the private developer currently operating the property.
As part of the revised agreement, the developer will be required to make a one-time deposit of Rs 5 crore and share 4 per cent of the resort’s annual turnover with the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation. The revised terms are in line with the conditions applicable to other five-star tourism projects in the state.
The Cabinet further cleared an additional Rs 36 crore for the expansion of the second IT Park at Umsawli.
The additional allocation will be used to create more plug-and-play office spaces, build a larger cafeteria and auditorium, and install a centralised air-conditioning system to meet the requirements of prospective international companies.
Sangma said the project had to be placed before the Cabinet because the additional expenditure exceeded 25 per cent of the original project cost. Under a recently adopted government policy, all projects requiring cost escalations beyond that threshold must receive Cabinet approval before implementation.
The approvals are part of the state’s ongoing efforts to expand educational infrastructure, promote high-value agriculture, boost tourism and strengthen Meghalaya’s growing information technology ecosystem.
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