SHILLONG: Shillong MP, Vincent Pala may not ask for any more railway projects following the controversy surrounding the Tetelia-Byrnihat-Shillong railway project.
“I feel very awkward to ask for new railway project as there is lot of controversy for the projects which have been given to us,” Pala said while speaking to media persons here.
He said that every society was evolving in terms of their thinking and there was a time when people did not wanted roads to their villages but now people want national and state highways in their places.
“May be another generation and another MP would want railway here,” he said while pointing out that only a section of people does not want railway.
“But as we live in a democracy, we want to take every body into confidence,” he said.
He also felt that personally, he was for development be it roads, railways or airports since there were lot of unemployment among the youths.
“Every year, we get around 30000 students who clear matriculation and 15000 graduates. Where these youths will go for employment with limited scope in Government and private sector and the only way to solve the problem is to bring development,” he said.
He also said that people should think over the matter seriously even as he said that the Government was trying for a solution to the opposition for the railways in the state saying Government was in the process of identifying and acquiring land for setting up check gates to check influx but the initiative have been delayed slightly.
The KSU which is opposing railways in Meghalaya, apprehends it would bring large scale influx of outsiders to the state and wants the Government to set up entry and exit points in the state before thinking about bringing railway to the state.