Pala hopeful NGOs will support railway project

SHILLONG: Shillong MP Vincent Pala, who has been pushing hard for expansion of railway line in Meghalaya, has expressed hope that once the necessary mechanism to check influx into the State is put in place, the NGOs/pressure groups would also welcome the railways.
Speaking   to The Shillong Times, Pala expressed confidence that the KSU and other pressure groups would stop opposing railways once integrated the check gate is set up in the State.
Stating that Meghalaya needs railways, airports and better roads to progress, Pala said that in the absence of development, brain drain from the State is inevitable.
According to Pala the initial work for the railway project till Khat Khyndai Mer in Ri Bhoi is on and land acquisition for the project is in the pipeline.
Replying to a query on the delay in granting of NOC to the project by KHADC, the Shillong MP sounded confident that all bottlenecks would be cleared soon.
Pala further said that he was asked to prioritize one railway project in the State by the Union Railway Minister and he has decided to push for Shillong railway project since the State capital has to be connected first.
He also said that the railway project in Jaintia Hills can be taken up later if people reject the Shillong project.
After several delays, the work for the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway project has started. The deadline for the project is March 2018.
The survey work for the 108-km stretch of the proposed Shillong-Byrnihat railway project is almost over but the railways could not proceed with land acquisition due to the delay in issuing of NOC by the KHADC.
The Railways is aiming to connect all the eight states in India’s North East by 2020 under its ‘Mission 2020’ which is to be implemented strictly within the stipulated timeframe.