Meghalaya Cabinet clears five-star upgrade for Orchid Resort, reviews Jal Jeevan rollout

The Meghalaya Cabinet on July 8 approved amendments to the lease agreement for Orchid Resort at Mawkasiang in New Shillong, clearing the way for the property to be upgraded into a five-star resort as part of the state's efforts to strengthen tourism infrastructure.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the revised lease terms have been aligned with the state's policy for similar tourism projects. Under the new agreement, the developer will make a one-time deposit of Rs 5 crore and contribute four per cent of the annual turnover to the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

According to the Chief Minister, the decision is expected to encourage private investment, improve tourism infrastructure and generate employment while contributing to the state's economic growth.

The Cabinet also reviewed the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission and discussed Meghalaya's preparedness for the second phase of the scheme, Jal Jeevan 2.0.

Sangma said the discussions focused on the state's financial commitment for the next phase, implementation of the State Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Policy as required under the guidelines, and the cost implications of pending retrofitting of water supply schemes.

He said he has directed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and the Jal Jeevan Mission team to prepare a detailed report on functional household tap connections across the state.

The report will assess "how many are actually delivering water", identify gaps, examine the reasons behind non-functional connections, and provide a block-wise and district-wise analysis of coverage under the Har Ghar Jal initiative, the Chief Minister said.