Shillong all set to host G-20 summit on April 17 and 18

Shillong, Apr 13: Hectic preparations are on for the scheduled G-20 meeting to be held in Meghalaya on April 18 with the government beautifying the state capital by sprucing sidewalks with fresh coat of paint and repairing roads.

The meeting would be held in one of the 5-star hotels here on the topic “space economy leaders’ meet” in which several diplomats and ambassadors of the G20 nations are scheduled to attend.

A senior official said, the delegates would arrive in the city on April 16 and the next day the meeting would be held. The next day the deluges would be taken on sightseeing visits to the state capital and to Sohra (Cherrapunjee.)

The event is being organized by the Department of Space, Ministry of External Affairs and the state government. At least three union ministers would be attending the meet together with the foreign and Indian delegates. Former CEO, NIT Ayog, Amitabh Kant would be Sherpa for the event.

“Union Minister of State, Department of Space, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Choudhury and Minister of State External Affairs, V Muraleedharan would be attending the meeting along with the other delegates,” a senior official said.

As many as 26 diplomats from different G-20 countries would be attending the meeting. Three think tanks from abroad together with 36 Indian Space Research Organisation officials and scientists would also attend the meet. Moreover, representatives from 14 startups from India from the space sector would also be attending the meeting.

“Five officials from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre would also be attending this meeting so we expect a full house and would provide our youths a window of opportunity in the space sector,” the official said.

Under the G-20 summit, meetings are categorised under Sherpa Track, Finance and Engagement. The meeting being held here is under the engagement category in which the top minds from these countries would deliberate and give their recommendations.

Meanwhile, the state government has been beautifying the state capital and sidewalks are being given fresh coats of paint, street lights and roads are being repaired in some of the major parts of the state capital. But some residents have claimed that several substandard repairs have been done with blacktops already wearing off.