Shillong, Sept 24: The Meghalaya House in Kolkata has introduced a bus service exclusively for people from Meghalaya visiting the city.
The facility is aimed at supporting students, teachers, officials, organisations and delegations from Meghalaya visiting Kolkata for various purposes, GAD Minister Sosthenes Sohtun said while inaugurating the bus service on Thursday.
The minister said the new service would offer a more convenient and secure mode of transport at a time when regular transportation in Kolkata can be expensive.
He said Meghalaya House has been catering to visitors from the state and providing support to groups requiring assistance during their stay in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.
Highlighting the importance of educational exposure, Sohtun said students and teachers from Meghalaya frequently travel to other states to learn about different educational systems and practices.
Kolkata, he said, was particularly significant because of its historical and cultural links with Meghalaya.
Drawing a parallel with the STEMS bus service in Shillong, Sohtun said the initiative had helped ease transportation-related difficulties for students and parents while also contributing to reducing traffic congestion.
He said the Kolkata bus service was intended to provide similar support to people from Meghalaya travelling to West Bengal.
Sohtun urged educational institutions and other visitors from Meghalaya to make full use of the facility and called for a sense of responsibility and ownership among users.
“Those travelling on the bus will represent Meghalaya as ambassadors of the state,” he said.
The Minister also appreciated the Meghalaya House management, staff and the General Administration Department for facilitating the initiative and expressed hope that the service would further strengthen support extended to people from Meghalaya visiting Kolkata.
