''Cherrapunjee is a third class tourist destination. I am sad to see the barren hills and no flower beds in the area,'' H T Sangliana, a former IPS officer-turned politician, told reporters here today.
''I feel tourists visiting Cherrapunjee are being cheated and I will take up this matter with the Chief Minister (Mukul Sangma),'' a visibly upset Vice-Chairman of the National Minority Commission, told reporters after visiting Cherrapunjee.
Cherrapunjee, a picturesque village perched on the edge of a cliff some 1,290 metres above sea level and about 60 km from Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya.
''There roads leading to the area is full of potholes and the area completely lack of basic amenities,'' he said.
Reacting to Mr Sangliana comment's , Meghalaya Tourism Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said, ''He (Sangliana) must have expected Cherrapunjee to be like Switzerland. Meghalaya cannot be compared with others and I am sure Sangliana didn't see the other part of Cherrapunjee.''
