SHILLONG, May 11: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has justified its decision to opt out of the all-party committee on railways, while questioning the need for such a committee.
“Where is the need to constitute an all-party committee for railway connectivity? The government knows the mind of the people very well, and we have also made our stand very clear on the floor of the House,” VPP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit said on Sunday.
His statement follows the government’s assertion that if political parties remain unresponsive to its efforts to address the sensitive issue of railways, the state will continue to be in limbo.
The VPP and the state Congress opted out of the all-party committee constituted by the state government to discuss the proposal of introducing railways in Meghalaya’s Khasi-Jaintia region. “We would like to see the government put in place a mechanism to check the inflow of outsiders before discussing railway connectivity in the state,” Basaiawmoit said.
Questioning the move of the government to push for the all-party committee, he said, “If the government feels the railway is needed, it can go ahead. Why was a committee constituted, since we have already made our stand clear?”
Demand for strict border vigil
The VPP chief pitched for heightened security over an immediate push for fencing the unfenced stretch of the India-Bangladesh border, as yardage remains inconclusive in some pockets, endangering the livelihood of the farmers.
“The government should strengthen the presence of armed forces in the border areas, fence or no fence. That should be the priority,” he said while reacting to the state government’s recent announcement about prioritising border fencing given the prevailing India-Pakistan situation.
Referring to the ongoing concerns of the border populace, he said: “If people are not opposing the border fencing, the government has to ensure that the people do not lose large tracts of land, especially the cultivable land. The government needs to think seriously about this concern of the people in the border areas.”
Meghalaya shares a 443-km international border with Bangladesh, parts of which remain unfenced. The incomplete coverage is attributed to challenging terrain and objections from landowners concerned about losing access to their lands.
According to bilateral agreements between India and Bangladesh, no permanent structures can be constructed within 150 metres of the international boundary.
“You also need to take the concerns of the local people, especially when it comes to their livelihood. If they lose large chunks of land, where will they go? The government is not providing any alternative job for them,” Basaiawmoit said.
