By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 5: The state government has finally decided to hold consultations with stakeholders, including political parties, to reach a consensus on the introduction of railways in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.
Reacting to a statement of Cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla in the Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the government will move ahead with railway projects only after holding consultations with the stakeholders and getting a general consensus.
He said the government will put all facts during the discussions. He said the issue is not railways but influx of people into the state.
Stating that the Centre is connecting all state capitals with railways, Sangma said Shillong could well be the only state capital without a railhead.
“If we miss this bus, we don’t know when this opportunity will come again. We need to realise the gravity of the situation,” he said.
Stating that railway will be a game changer for farmers, entrepreneurs etc, he said railway projects will bring about economic development.
“But we will move forward only after taking the stakeholders on board,” he said.
Earlier, Voice of the People Party (VPP) MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang said the party is not against development or railway projects.
“We understand the need to have goods trains in this part of the country but we are not in favour of passenger trains,” Marbaniang said, adding that the influx of illegal immigrants is already on the rise and railways will compound this problem.
“We are not against railway but a proper mechanism should be in place,” he said, vouching for the implementation of Inner Line Permit before the introduction of railways.
Govt pushes for transnational corridor
Meghalaya is pushing for the development of the Hili-Mahendraganj transnational economic corridor which is expected to significantly cut travel time and costs between the state and Kolkata by passing through Bangladesh. Sangma said the 100-km corridor could reduce travel time and expenses by 25-60% for Tura, Baghmara, Dalu and Dawki. He emphasised that the corridor will not only benefit Meghalaya but also improve connectivity for Mizoram, Tripura, Assam’s Barak Valley, reducing the journey to Kolkata by 600-700 km.
“I am very optimistic about the Hili-Mahendraganj Corridor. I believe it will be transformative for the entire region in the coming years,” Sangma said.
The corridor was included in the minutes of a high-level meeting between India and Bangladesh. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited has already conducted a preliminary study. Meghalaya has also shared road alignment analytics with Bangladesh for a feasibility assessment.
Sangma said the project is at an early stage and further discussions with the Bangladesh government will be required. However, he was hopeful about its implementation.
“The official discussion took place when our Prime Minister and the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh met. It is difficult to predict when it will happen but I am sure it will,” he said.
In addition to the Hili-Mahendraganj Corridor, the chief minister is also pushing for the development of a 450 km Border Economic Corridor from Dalu to Sonapur. This route, which connects nine Land Custom Stations and a Border Haat at Balat, is critical for trade but suffers from dilapidated bridges and missing road links.
“We will begin constructing priority bridges and missing road links next year to improve the movement of freight and passenger vehicles. Infrastructure at Border Haats and Land Custom Stations will also be strengthened,” Sangma said.