Newmai News Network Shillong | April 13 Expressing keen interest to promote cave tourism in Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that this is an area which the government would like to push forward especially with the Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons also showing interest on the matter. Replying to the budget discussion in the Assembly here on Friday, Conrad said that for the convenience of the tourists visiting the state, the government has discussed the need to construct not only basic amenities like toilets but also a resting place adding that the Centre is also interested in funding this project. With regards to the drug menace in the state, he said that at present there are two rehabilitation centres being funded by the Centre which include Kripa Foundation and New Hope in Shillong. Apart from the one-stop crisis centres at Shillong and Tura, Conrad said that the government would also examine the proposal for setting up of shelter homes. Moreover, he said all government offices and hospitals will also be made friendly to persons with disabilities (PwDs) even as he informed that the Secretary of the Social Welfare Ministry, who visited the state two weeks back, had agreed to have a programme in Shillong in the month of June-July for distribution of aids and appliances to 2000-3000 PwDs in the state. On the proposal for using solar street lights, he said the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), an Energy Service Company (ESCO) of the Government of India has proposed to replace current light bulb with LED bulb. “Once the LED light is used, the electricity consumption will be reduced to half,” he said.
