Shillong, Aug 17 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday said the Pine Home Eco‑Sustainable Project at Mawlangwir village in South West Khasi Hills could serve as a model for sustainable and community‑driven development across the state.
Inaugurating the project, Sangma said Pine Home showed how sustainability, traditional knowledge, and modern innovation could combine to create infrastructure that protects the environment while generating economic opportunities for local communities.
“The idea is to preserve the natural landscape while bringing in modern innovation,” he said, citing features such as natural heating systems, recycled materials and rainwater conservation.
The Chief Minister said local artisans and workers played a central role in building the facility, with materials sourced largely from the area. This, he noted, would help preserve indigenous skills and ensure that economic benefits remained within local communities.
Developed with an investment of around Rs 5.90 crore through the Saitsnat Multipurpose Cooperative Society, the project includes a restaurant and community hall, conference and training facilities, guest rooms and a Tourism Information Centre.
Sangma said the government wants South West Khasi Hills to become a destination where tourists stay longer and contribute more to the local economy.
He cited the CM Homestay Mission, under which the government aims to establish 3,000 homestays across Meghalaya by 2028, creating employment and additional income opportunities.
Sangma also remotely inaugurated the Twahlongwar Open‑Air Museum in Mawsynram, saying both projects reflected the government’s vision of extending development beyond Shillong.
“That the Garo Hills, the Khasi Hills and the Jaintia Hills would rise together,” he said, adding that the promise was taking shape through projects rooted in local communities and landscapes.
Sangma said Pine Home could serve as a “living laboratory” and Twahlongwar as a “living classroom” for developing climate‑resilient schools, healthcare facilities, eco‑lodges and homestays across Meghalaya.
He also highlighted the Chief Minister’s Research Grant, which has supported 48 scholars in its first year. Under the ‘Tracing the Roots’ initiative, 75 scholars will visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Tibet to study the origins and journeys of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities.
“A society that knows where it came from walks with far greater confidence into where it is going,” Sangma said.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira, Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammed and other officials, traditional leaders and community representatives attended the programme.
–IANS
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