Shillong, April 30 : The Meghalaya State Planning Board on Wednesday reviewed the state’s preparedness to host the upcoming National Games and said preparations are “on track,” while noting that further deliberations and site visits will be undertaken before final recommendations are submitted to the government.
Board chairman A.T. Mondal said the review meeting remained inconclusive as a central team from the sports department is currently in the state conducting parallel discussions.
“The board has sat to deliberate on the preparedness of the National Games, which is supposed to be held next year. Our meeting was inconclusive because a central team from the sports department is also here and holding meetings. We will sit again,” Mondal told reporters.
He said the board examined key aspects including venues, number of events, infrastructure readiness, and logistical arrangements for athletes and officials.
“So far so good. We discussed venues, the number of games to be conducted, infrastructure, and preparedness, including accommodation for athletes and officials across different disciplines,” he said.
Mondal added that while detailed presentations on preparedness were shared, the board felt the need for further discussions and physical inspection of sites.
“They have given conclusive details of the preparedness, but we need to sit again and will also be visiting the sites,” he said.
The chairman noted that monitoring of preparations is being carried out at multiple levels, with both the sports department and the Chief Minister’s Office actively involved.
“The sports department and especially the Chief Minister’s Office are vigorously pursuing the preparations. The Planning Board, as per its mandate, is also monitoring,” he said.
Addressing concerns over traffic congestion in Shillong during the Games, Mondal said the issue has already been flagged.
“One of the major reasons identified is roadside parking. The government is working on creating more parking spaces in and around the city, which will help decongest traffic,” he said.
He said the Planning Board will finalise its suggestions after further meetings and site inspections.
“We have given initial suggestions, but since the discussions are not yet concluded, we will meet again and also visit some sites before submitting our inputs,” Mondal added.
