SHILLONG, APR 20: The Meghalaya government has decided to exclude Lumpongdeng Island from the proposed 5-star luxury resort project at Umiam and will amend its agreement with Umiam Hotel Pvt Ltd (Taj Resort and Spa) accordingly following stiff opposition.
The decision was announced by the MDA government spokesperson and cabinet minister Wailadmiki Shylla after a meeting chaired by the deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong with the delegation of the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong of Ri Bhoi district.
A letter informing the government’s decision was also officially communicated by the Joint Secretary in-charge Tourism CS Khongwir to Green Tech Foundation chairman HB Nonglang, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 12 days and SRSRB chairman BB Makdoh.
“The government has decided to withdraw the tourism projects from Lumpongdeng Island after the Synjuk has raised concerns during the meeting. However, they are quite firm that they want the project to continue (on Umiam Lake Resort property),” Shylla told reporters.
“After hearing their concerns, (we clarified that) the government, since day one have been very clear that in the original agreement…there will be no construction on Lumpongdeng Island. It will be purely experiential tourism,” he stated.
“Since the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong, who are direct stakeholders of the area, raised concerns from the public…(and since we want that) whatever we do, we want the public to support it… Therefore, we thought it is best at this point of time that we will withdraw Lumpongdeng Island from this project, but the original project in the existing building at the Orchid land will continue.”
Appealing to Green Tech Foundation members to call off their hunger strike, Shylla said, “ “We want to make it clear that the government has no hidden agenda on this. We are very firm on that. Therefore, we appeal to the GTF members to call off their hunger strike since we have listened to your demand.”
He further reiterated that the main motive of the government is to bring opportunity to address the problem of unemployment.
“We cannot give government jobs to everyone. That is why the government is trying to bring the Taj group, which is a prestigious company, so that our youth get employment opportunities.”
Responding to criticism that the government had yielded to pressure, Shylla said, “Many people must be saying that the government has bent down, but I would like to tell them that the government is not bending down — it is listening to the aspirations of the people. Otherwise, in the past, you have seen many governments use different means, but we are not that kind of a government. We are a government that will always respect the sentiments of the people.”
Asked if groups were trying to take political advantage ahead of the Shillong MP by-election, he said, “That will definitely be there. There will be many people and there are many groups, and I think because of the Shillong MP by-election, many groups will try to take advantage of it.”
Meanwhile, the letter issued by the tourism department had stated. “the Lumpongdeng Island measuring 36 acres is excluded from the Concession Agreement dated 25th February 2026 executed between the Directorate of Tourism, Meghalaya with Umiam Hotel Pvt Ltd (Taj Resort and Spa) and the Agreement will be suitably amended to incorporate this decision in due course.”
“The 5 Star Luxury Resort will be built in and around the land measuring 30 acres where the existing Umiam Orchid Lake Resort is currently located,” it further added.
