Shillong: If everything goes as scheduled, Meghalaya will this year have an International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture with state-of-the-art facilities.

The international centre which is under construction on a 40-acre land at Mawkasiang within the New Shillong Township, was inspected by chief minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday. Mawkasiang is about 15km from here.

Artand culture minister A.L. Hek, Mawryngkneng MLA David Nongrum besides officials of various departments and Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd which is managing and constructing the mega project, accompanied Conrad.

Conrad told reporters the visit aimed to see current status of the project and understand constraints and challenges so that things can move forward smoothly.

He said the government is keen to ensure completion of this project at the earliest.

"This is an important project which will benefit people of the state. Investment made for the project such as this should be utilised fully," Conrad said, while saying that a meeting with the implementing agency will be held on Friday to understand challenges that they face. The project was sanctioned on March 27, 2014 and the contract was awarded on February 25, 2015. As on April 18, physical progress of work was 75 per cent and time for completing the Rs 151.33-crore project is December 31, 2018.

The project is funded under the non-lapsable central pool of resources at Rs 136.20 crore and a state share of over Rs 15.13 crore.

Facilities at the centre for performing arts and culture comprised a multi-purpose theatre with a seating capacity of 1,750, an open-air theatre with a seating capacity of 15,000, parking space and other facilities.

The centre will also house an art gallery, a museum on indigenous people, a banquet hall, office space, media centre, food court, fire-fighting and prevention system, effluent treatment and rainwater harvesting systems.

It also has venues for hosting mega cultural events like music, dance, theatre, film festivals and other activities that will promote culture and arts, particularly those of the northeastern states, by organising cross-cultural exchanges with other states of the country and abroad.