SHILLONG, Oct 9 � Fund for constructing a world class Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts has been sanctioned and the centre would come up at New Shillong Township, Mawdiangdiang, in the next four years.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma made the announcement to an excited crowd during the inauguration of the three-day 18 degrees festival here today. The government has sanctioned fund amounting to Rs 151.33 crore for the project and it would be built over an area of 35 acres.
�After the project is completed, Shillong would have one of the best infrastructures and would be able to host any kind of events of national or international level,� Sangma said.
He said that the centre would help in connecting Meghalaya and North East with the rest of the world through creative arts and added, �the project will be completed by 2018.�
On the festival, in which participants and artists have arrived from all across the country, he said the event should provide a platform for the youths to connect with the rest of the world and also be able to showcase their talents.
He further informed that the State Government was giving priority to performing arts and was no longer considering Arts and Culture department as a �minor department� and so for the three-day festival an amount of Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned.
About the festival, he further said, that there should be a positive vibe created around it and also ensure that the people of the northeast get together during the event and showcase their diverse culture, ethnicity and create awareness about the region through their individual art.
