The Meghalaya cabinet on Wednesday approved the state tourism policy and the organic farming policy.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the idea of creating the tourism policy is to give a proper shape and structure to the overall tourism sector, keeping in mind the contemporary situation.

“The policy will look into how we can make it sustainable… How we can ensure employment generation and entrepreneurship, and the involvement of the locals in the process,” he said.

“We also need to ensure better tourism circuits and that we are able to improve the overall capacity of the people who are involved in the tourism sector,” he said.

Tourism contributes to less than 10 per cent of the state’s GDP at present, Sangma said.

The  Meghalaya State Organic & Farming Policy 2023 is aimed at making organic certification easier for the people, he said.

“The Bio Resources Development Centre is already empanelled to give organic certification,” he said.

The policy will also ensure the setting up of outlets where people can go and buy organic food, Sangma said.

Defending the lifting of the ban on chemical fertilisers last year, he said there is a need to balance things.

“We have to keep in mind that there are people who depend on chemical fertilisers. There are vegetables that need this, and hence, to completely cut those off will not be just. It will require us to consider the livelihood of the people,” he said.

He, however, said areas that are not using chemical fertilisers will be getting incentives.