KHADC to meet NGOs on Feb 15

SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) will meet members of NGOs who are opposed to railway connectivity to discuss the issue of land acquisition for the Byrnihat-Shillong project on February 15.
KHADC chief executive member P.N Syiem said on Friday they were not in a hurry to issue no objection certificate (NOC) to the project and that the Council wanted to know what other stakeholders feel before taking a call on the issue.
The KHADC CEM also held a meeting with local traditional leaders from Ri Bhoi on Friday to discuss the railway project and land acquisition. “We have to know the mind of the people before taking any call on the issue,” he said.
The North Frontier Railway (NFR) wants land for the project to connect Byrnihat with Shillong. However, it has not made any progress since the NFR was unable to acquire land due to non-issuance of NOC.
While the Byrnihat-Shillong project is still a distant dream, the railways had sought 184 hectares of land for the construction of the rail line from Byrnihat to Lailad, a village around 17km from Byrnihat. It was also learnt that the KHADC executive council would discuss the matter before taking any decision.
Though the Centre intends to connect all northeastern state capitals with railways by 2020, the project is not making any significant progress in Meghalaya due to opposition from NGOs who fear that railways would lead to influx.