By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After much difficulties Ri-Bhoi district administration has started acquisition of land under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act for the ongoing railway projects in the State.
Under Section 6, the names of the land owners whose land will be acquired to construct the railway line to connect Meghalaya with the rest of the country.
Informing this, Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Akashdeep on Tuesday said, “Now we are in the process of publishing Section 9 to see if there is any objection with regards to acquisition of land for the project.”
The Byrnihat-Shillong railway project has not made much progress due to stiff opposition from some NGOs.
On the other hand, the survey for the land alignment for the Tetelia-Byrnihat project has been completed. The land owners had earlier demanded a separate alignment for the project.
Earlier, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on alignment of railway project had threatened to launch agitation if the alignment proposed in 2008 is taken into consideration.
A portion of the Lum Nongrim village will also be affected if the railways alignment survey of 2008 is implemented. According to the alignment survey of 2008, the railway tracks will pass by the football ground of the Byrnihat Sports Association (BSA), then traverse through portions of Lum Nongrim village and through the hills to Ronghona village.
The 2.5 kilometers of the Tetelia-Byrnihat project falls under Meghalaya.
On the other hand, Byrnihat-Shillong railway project has not been able to make any headway since last year when the KSU stalled the survey of the project.
The NGOs of the state are opposing the railway project fearing it would bring large scale influx into the state.
