NONGPOH: The traditional heads of Ri-Bhoi district under the banner of Dorbar ki Rangbah Shnong Ri Bhoi district (DRSRD) have said ‘no’ to expansion of railway line in Ri Bhoi district, if the Village Administration Bill (VAB) was not implemented in the State.
This decision was taken by the traditional heads of Ri-Bhoi district in a meeting held on Monday in the auditorium of Umsning Town Durbar, Umsning.
The Dorbar ki Rangbah Shnong Ri Bhoi district had called this emergency meeting to discuss the present situation in the district where peace and harmony in the society at stake due to on-going protest of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) against expansion of railway network to the district.
In the day-long meeting, the traditional heads discussed at length the pending Village Administration Bill which is yet to be implemented in the state and resolved that expansion of railway network would not be accepted by the traditional heads of Ri-Bhoi district unless the government passed and implemented the VAB in the state.
“The traditional heads of Ri-Bhoi district are also concerned over unabated influx to the state as the government has failed to set up a comprehensive mechanism to check illegal immigrants,” chairman of the Dorbar ki Rangbah Shnong Ri Bhoi district, Rocky Kylla said adding that the meeting of the traditional heads has taken the major decision not to welcome the railway line as there was a major failure on part of the state government to curb illegal immigrants.
He also said that the traditional heads of Ri Bhoi district was very much concerned over several issues that were being kept pending by the government till date.
“We are more concerned over the security of indigenous people rather than the developments” he said, adding that the coming of railway line into the state was of no use if the rights of indigenous populace of the state were not protected,” he added.
He further said, that the traditional heads of Ri Bhoi will not accept the railway line in the state as long as the state government fails to implement the VAB and set up comprehensive mechanism to tackle influx (by setting up entry and exit points).
The meeting of traditional heads condemned the continuous raid of Ri Bhoi Police on KSU activists over the railway issue which has badly affected peace and harmony of Ri Bhoi and people are feeling insecure.
The meeting has also resolved to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi District on July 13 at Nongpoh to urge him to tell the police department to exercise restraint and do away with practice of conducting arbitrary raids on local residences on the pretext of hunting KSU activists without informing the concerned Dorbar Shnong.