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Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
US travel advisory linking Meghalaya with terrorism ‘incorrect', says CM Conrad Sangma
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday asserted that the travel advisory issued by the United States linking the state and the northeastern region with terrorism and violence is incorrect, and he would take up the matter with the US Ambassador to India. Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said he would be meeting the US Ambassador to India in this regard.(PTI/File Image) Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong also asserted that the state is the safest place in the world for tourists. The US government had recently issued an advisory asking its citizens to reconsider visiting Meghalaya and other northeastern states due to terrorism and violence. Permission is not required if employees are travelling only to the capital cities of these states, it said. "The US Embassy has given a completely wrong status to Meghalaya and the North East as a whole. I do not think the notification is correct," Sangma told PTI. The chief minister said he would be meeting the US Ambassador to India in this regard. "I will be presenting facts and figures to the US Ambassador as well as to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs," he said. Responding to the advisory, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, "It's unfortunate that the US has issued such an advisory. We don't know where they collect their information from to place Meghalaya in that category." Tynsong, who also holds the Home portfolio, defended the state's record on safety and hospitality. "Meghalaya is one of the safest places in the world, and people of the state are known for their hospitality," he told PTI. Tynsong said people who have not visited Meghalaya and met the people may have all sorts of doubts. "Talk to those who have visited Meghalaya and met the hardworking people living in the beautiful villages of the state. These are the real ambassadors," he said. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said the state is expected to host 20 lakh visitors this year, and the tourism department has charted a calendar of events for the entire year, with events like the Cherry Blossom Festivals. The state government has also initiated a programme to induct 'Tourist Buddies' who will assist travellers at major locations. "The state is recruiting 50 Tourist Buddies in the state capital itself, where they will be stationed at key tourist locations such as Wards Lake, Golf Links, and Khyndai Lad," Lyngdoh said. A senior tourism officer told PTI that the state government plans to invest over ₹ 1,000 crore to boost the tourism sector. He said the sector provides employment to over 50,000 people directly and indirectly and is one of the largest job providers in Meghalaya, second only to the state government which employs over 85,000 people.
The Print
24-06-2025
- The Print
US travel advisory linking Meghalaya with terrorism and violence not correct: CM
The US government had recently issued an advisory asking its citizens to reconsider visiting Meghalaya and other northeastern states due to terrorism and violence. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong also asserted that the state is the safest place in the world for tourists. Shillong, Jun 24 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday asserted that the travel advisory issued by the United States linking the state and the northeastern region with terrorism and violence is incorrect, and he would take up the matter with the US Ambassador to India. Permission is not required if employees are travelling only to the capital cities of these states, it said. 'The US Embassy has given a completely wrong status to Meghalaya and the North East as a whole. I do not think the notification is correct,' Sangma told PTI. The chief minister said he would be meeting the US Ambassador to India in this regard. 'I will be presenting facts and figures to the US Ambassador as well as to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs,' he said. Responding to the advisory, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, 'It's unfortunate that the US has issued such an advisory. We don't know where they collect their information from to place Meghalaya in that category.' Tynsong, who also holds the Home portfolio, defended the state's record on safety and hospitality. 'Meghalaya is one of the safest places in the world, and people of the state are known for their hospitality,' he told PTI. Tynsong said people who have not visited Meghalaya and met the people may have all sorts of doubts. 'Talk to those who have visited Meghalaya and met the hardworking people living in the beautiful villages of the state. These are the real ambassadors,' he said. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said the state is expected to host 20 lakh visitors this year, and the tourism department has charted a calendar of events for the entire year, with events like the Cherry Blossom Festivals. The state government has also initiated a programme to induct 'Tourist Buddies' who will assist travellers at major locations. 'The state is recruiting 50 Tourist Buddies in the state capital itself, where they will be stationed at key tourist locations such as Wards Lake, Golf Links, and Khyndai Lad,' Lyngdoh said. A senior tourism officer told PTI that the state government plans to invest over Rs 1,000 crore to boost the tourism sector. He said the sector provides employment to over 50,000 people directly and indirectly and is one of the largest job providers in Meghalaya, second only to the state government which employs over 85,000 people. PTI JOP MNB NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Print
24-06-2025
- The Print
Meghalaya deputy CM slams US advisory, says state safest for tourists in world
'It's unfortunate that the US has issued such an advisory. We don't know where they collect their information from to place Meghalaya in that category,' Tynsong told PTI. The US government had recently issued an advisory asking its citizens to reconsider visiting Meghalaya and the northeastern states due to terrorism and violence. Shillong, Jun 24 (PTI) Reacting to a recent adverse travel advisory by the United States, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday asserted that the state is the safest place in the world for tourists. Tynsong, who also holds the Home portfolio, strongly defended the state's record on safety and hospitality. 'Meghalaya is one of the safest places in the world, and people of the state are known for their hospitality,' he said. Tynsong said people who have not visited Meghalaya and met the people may have all sorts of doubts. 'Talk to those who have visited Meghalaya and met the hardworking people living in the beautiful villages of the state. These are the real ambassadors,' he said. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said the state is expected to host 2 million visitors this year, and the tourism department has charted a calendar of events for the whole year, with events like the Cherry blossom festivals among others. The state government has also initiated a programme to induct 'Tourist Buddies' whereby tourists will be assisted by them at major locations. 'The state is recruiting 50 Tourist Buddies in the state capital itself, where they will be stationed at key tourist locations such as Wards Lake, Golf Links, and Khyndai Lad,' Lyngdoh informed. A senior tourism officer told PTI that the state government plans to invest over Rs 1,000 crore to boost the tourism sector. He said the sector provides employment to over 50,000 people directly and indirectly and is one of the largest job providers in Meghalaya, second only to the state government which employs over 85,000 people. PTI JOP MNB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Honeymoon murder case: Meghalaya cops solve murder in 7 days, prove efficiency
GUWAHATI: Meghalaya deputy CM Prestone Tynsong Monday said that it has been proved that the state's police force ranked among the best forces in the country with its Special Investigation Team (SIT) achieving a breakthrough in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case in just seven days. Tynsong's statement comes days after the Indore couple's families had labelled the state police 'inefficient', demanding CBI probe into the case. However, after Sonam's arrest Monday, Raja's mother Uma changed track and thanked Meghalaya police as well as the search teams who kept working on the case despite inclement weather and treacherous terrain. "Without them we wouldn't have ever known what happened to Raja, or that his wife was behind this horrific crime," said a family friend. Tynsong, who is also the home minister, said social media remarks depicting Meghalaya as a den of criminals in the wake of Raja's murder had hurt sentiments of people of the state. On the contrary, Meghalaya is very safe for tourists, he added. "The successful operation by state police will further encourage people to keep visiting the state." The minister said people would remember how Meghalaya handled militancy 15-20 years back. "We don't need any forces from central govt," he further added. Tynsong said govt has already directed owners of homestays and hotels to ensure proper registration of tourists. "In fact, we also have in place a tourism app through which they can send documents to the police station or SP concerned." Tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh said Meghalaya govt will work closely with the local tourism industry to enhance safety measures. Besides, the Conrad K Sangma govt will invest Rs 4,000 crore to develop tourism infrastructure, including construction of high-end accommodation in popular tourist spots like Sohra and Umiam over the next two years.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Time of India
‘Meghalaya safe for tourists, continues to attract visitors'
Guwahati: Meghalaya is very safe for tourists who continue to visit the state regularly, deputy CM Prestone Tynsong said on Monday. He added that social media remarks depicting Meghalaya as a den of criminals, following the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, hurt the state's sentiments. Regarding the alleged weak mechanism in the state for handling tourist flow, the minister said the state has certain mechanisms which will be strengthened further. "Where there is a requirement for strengthening, that will be done for sure. In fact, the tourism department has given certain instructions relating to the registration of tourists," he added. The minister said the govt has already directed the owners of homestays and hotels to ensure proper registration of tourists. "In fact, we also have in place a tourism app through which they can send the documents to the police station concerned or may be to the SP," he added. Tynsong said the govt was deeply hurt to see remarks on social media referring to Meghalaya as a den of criminals. "I just personally take it that, okay, maybe out of emotion, out of desperation, maybe they could not control themselves, they made those remarks. But let me tell you one thing, Meghalaya is very safe," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Los jubilados nacidos antes del 1970 tienen derecho a estos nuevos aparatos acústicos Top Audifonos Undo He added that the Meghalaya Police force is one of the best in the country, and it has been proved. "Not only that, people would remember how we handled militancy 15-20 years back. We don't need any forces from the central govt," Tynsong said. Saying that tourists are still coming to the state on a daily basis, the minister said the successful operation by the state police will further encourage people to keep visiting the state. Last year, Meghalaya was named India's top travel destination in Skyscanner's Travel Trends Report, outperforming global hotspots like Baku and Azerbaijan. Shillong was the only Indian city to make it to the list. Meghalaya witnessed a remarkable year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals — from 10 lakh in 2022 to 14 lakh in 2023, which is a 38.9% increase, and further to 16.08 lakh in 2024, which is a 13.1% rise, reaffirming its rising appeal as a premier travel destination. CM Conrad K Sangma-led govt will now invest Rs 3,600 crore to develop tourism infrastructure, including the construction of high-end accommodations in popular tourist spots like Sohra and Umiam over the next two years.
