SHILLONG: NPP MLA from Jirang, Sosthenes Sohtun feels that a collective idea from various stakeholders with regard to the contentious issue of bringing railway projects to the state is important.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Sohtun said, “I welcome development but development like the setting up of railway lines in the state will have to be discussed with all stakeholders to arrive at a unanimous decision.”
According to him, strong laws and mechanisms are to be put in place to tackle the mounting problem of influx in the state.
Asked, he said the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has not resumed its work yet.
The railway project in the state turned out to be a non-starter after it was halted and opposed by several organisations in May, 2017.
The construction of the rail track between Tetelia and Kalmajaria in Assam is almost complete but the work has not resumed in Meghalaya.
The cost of the proposed 20.5-km railway line linking Tetelia in Assam and Byrnihat in Ri Bhoi is estimated at around Rs 496 crore. The length of the track in Meghalaya is just 2.5 km.
The organisations opposing the projects want the government to put in place effective mechanisms to check influx, including setting up of entry and exit points before introducing railways in the state.
