Shillong, Feb. 20: Meghalaya is all set to host Terra Madre-2015 in November this year.

Terra Madre is a network of food communities, committed to producing quality food in a responsible, sustainable way. There are more than 2,000 Terra Madre food communities around the world.

In its preparation to host the international festival, the Meghalaya government held the first meeting of the state-level steering committee on Indigenous Terra Madre, 2015, here today under the chairmanship of chief minister Mukul Sangma.

Besides state government officials, the meeting, which was also attended by North East Slow Food & Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) chairman Phrang Roy, discussed the preparations for the international gathering of indigenous food communities.

The chief minister stressed the need to decide properly on the methodology of preparation, timely action on the part of the departments and the need to delegate responsibility to the seniormost officials of the departments. He said that the festival would be an opportune moment for the state to connect with the rest of the global world.

For hosting the event, Sangma announced a host of venues including some villages like Mawphlang, where the sacred grove exists, and North Eastern Hill University (Nehu).

Sangma had recently laid a foundation stonefor improving, metalling and blacktopping of road and link roads at Mawphlang-Mawngap as a part of the preparations for the festival.

He said that fund for the festival has been estimated tentatively at Rs 10 crore.

Saying he would write to other chief ministers for their support, Sangma said that the state government would also seek clearance from the ministry of external affairs.

The meeting also focussed on the need to speed up improvement of roads, accommodation for the delegates and visitors, providing clean drinking water for the host villages and improvement of infrastructure.

Phrang Roy said the first-ever festival of such kind being held in the country was to celebrate the cultural diversity in the region. Nearly 500 international delegates, most of them indigenous, were expected to participate in the festival, he added.

Forty villages from different parts of the state and from Nagaland will co-host the five-day festival that would include a plenary session, cultural performances, food-tasting and a food festival, field visits to exceptional host villages and a bio-diversity walk, among others.

According to Roy, Prince Charles would also deliver a video message on the occasion and some other international celebrities are also expected to be part of the event.

He said that fund for the festival would be supported by the Meghalaya government and partly by NESFAS.