SHILLONG: Even as the proposed railway connectivity to Shillong continues to receive thumbs down from pressure groups, the state BJP has said it would ‘put pressure’ on the state government to bring trains carrying goods to the capital city.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, the saffron party said such a move would automatically convince people that there would be no illegal immigration in the state.
The party, after a meeting, further said it would propose privatisation and outsourcing of all non-performing public sector enterprises.
“This will not only cut the losses of the state government, but also bring more efficient services for the people and generate revenue for the government by way of taxation, etc,” the party said.
The meeting was presided over by state BJP president, Ernest Mawrie, while national general secretary, Ram Madhav, delivered his inaugural speech through video conference.
On the burning issue of rat-hole mining, the BJP said it would urge the state government to come up with a holistic mining policy that would lay down scientific and environmental-friendly means of mining for the people. “This will open up the economy and uplift the standard of living of people in the state,” the statement said, adding that a good part of the state’s economy is dependent on mining-related activities.
With regard to the pandemic scenario in the state, the BJP said, “We will also push the government to bring people-friendly and pro-development policies that will help our state to come out of the slowdown brought about by the pandemic”.
In a bid to dwindle the state’s economic woes in view of COVID-19, the BJP said it would urge the state government to come out with a policy to incentivise and promote industries and multi-national companies that enable job creation within the state to invest here.
With regard to tourism, the BJP said it would exhort the state government to promote tourism by making it accessible for all kinds of travellers through development of tourist circuits, and by promoting the state in the rest of the country through advertisements.
“If required, we will take to the streets to insist on policies that benefit the local people,” the BJP assured, adding “we realise the state’s tourism potential is such a driving force that other activities may even take a back seat”.
Stating that it will encourage the in-state production of goods that are presently imported from the rest of the country, the BJP said it would also advise the government to identify materials that are exported from the state in raw form and encourage the setting up of value-addition activities here.
“This will create employment opportunities for the local youth as well as generate revenue for the state,” the BJP said.
“We will also advise the state government to use GST data by tracing HSN (harmonised system nomenclature) codes and encourage the production of such goods within the state that are presently imported from the rest of the country,” it said.
