UDP iffy about CM-led all-party committee
SHILLONG, May 14: Cabinet Minister and Khliehriat MLA, Kyrmen Shylla on Wednesday said the decision of putting the Khasi-Jaintia Hills on India’s railway map should not be left to the politicians and the government.
He underscored the need to let the people take a call on such a significant project.
Stressing the need for public consultations, Shylla said people in Meghalaya have been involved in many projects, including units set up by companies. “So, why not for the railways? Different people have different ideas, but the majority view wins in the end,” he said.
Asserting that it is not for individuals to decide, he said the people should be allowed to weigh the pros and cons of linking Shillong with the country’s railway grid. “We should put a full stop if they say no. The government should step in if they say yes. After all, we are the people’s servants,” he said.
He, however, felt that the railways would benefit everyone who uses the train services.
Shylla said there is confusion about the opposition to the railways. “People know the difference between a goods train and a passenger train. I don’t know where we went wrong and why some people are against the railways and why some are in favour,” he added.
He dismissed as speculation the allegations that some groups opposing the railways are lobbying for road transporters who fear financial losses.
He said the United Democratic Party subscribes to the view of its general secretary, Jemino Mawthoh, about letting goods trains run. “We will take a call when the time comes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UDP is likely to follow the Voice of the People Party and Congress in opting out of the all-party committee on the railways.
The UDP, a major constituent of the National People’s Party-led MDA, has indicated it has a fifty-fifty chance of remaining in the committee formed by the state government.
“Our party will meet next week to take a call on whether or not to be in the committee on railway connectivity,” UDP leader Titosstarwell Chyne said on Wednesday.
He said the party currently stands opposed to the railway line in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills, as the state lacks a mechanism to check influx. He, however, hinted that the UDP may consider joining the committee.
The state government has kept the railway project in cold storage following opposition from the pressure groups.
The VPP and Congress declined to be in the committee. While the former wants the government to first put an anti-infiltration system in place, the latter accused the government of trying to pass the buck on the sensitive issue.
The committee was constituted after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asked the Meghalaya government to return the money sanctioned for connecting Shillong to the country’s railway grid. He made it clear that the Centre would not give up on the project.
The Indian Railways undertook the ambitious project of laying tracks up to the capitals of all the northeastern states, including Mizoram and Sikkim. The pressure groups in Meghalaya did not allow the government to construct a 2 km railway line from Assam to border town Byrnihat.