SHILLONG, April 6: The proposed Byrnihat-Shillong railway project has died a natural death with the Meghalaya government gearing up to return the funds meant for land acquisition under the project to the Ministry of Railways.
An official said that the government will around Rs 209.37 crore to the Ministry and the necessary paper works have begun.
The funds were placed with the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi on March 30, 2017 for acquiring land for the railway project in the district.
The development comes just days after the government constituted a committee headed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to discuss the pros and cons of the railway projects in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
It may be mentioned that the pressure groups in the state have not allowed the government to construct railway line even for goods trains over the fears of influx.
The proposed Tetelia-Byrnihat railway line failed to take off after pressure groups halted the railway project in 2017.
The cost of the proposed 20.5-km railway line linking Tetelia in Assam and Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi was estimated to cost around Rs 496 crore. The length of the track in Meghalaya was just 2.5 km and the project was supposed to culminate at Byrnihat.
Now, as Meghalaya government has constituted a committee to discuss the railways, many are questioning if the government has woken up from its slumber too late.
Neighbouring states like Manipur, Mizoram and even Sikkim will soon connect their capitals with the railways while Shillong is poised to remain the only Indian state capital without a railway link, as the Meghalaya government has neither successfully engaged with civil society groups, pressure organisations, and political parties nor taken definitive steps to facilitate railway projects.
The NPP-led MDA Government has taken a cautious stance on the contentious matter.
The chief minister has repeatedly stressed the importance of reaching an agreement and insisted that all parties involved be included before any progress can be achieved.
Citing the potential of goods trains to stimulate economic activity, especially in the agricultural sector, he had announced intentions to consult with various groups on the topic of railways.
Nevertheless, not much progress has been accomplished in spite of the government’s intentions.
Pressure groups like the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) have been steadfast in their demand for strong anti-influx measures prior to any railway development.
Their biggest concern is the uncontrolled influx. These groups are extremely sceptical of the idea of linking Meghalaya, and Shillong in particular, to the national railway network because they believe uncontrolled influx will change the demographic makeup of the state.
Last week, several pressure groups including the KSU, FKJGP, JSU, and HNYF, reaffirmed their opposition to the railway project in Jaintia Hills.
The pressure groups warned that if the government brings railway into the Jaintia Hills region, the entire Hynniewtrep region will burn.
In their addresses, the leaders of the pressure groups vehemently opposed the railway project in the absence of strong legislation to protect the indigenous population and argued that railways would pose a serious threat to the indigenous community.
