Shillong, March 24: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has stated that the Government of Meghalaya has not yet received the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) regarding the Shillong Railway line. The Chief Minister also informed the media that he had approached the Minister of Railways, Government of India, and urged that consultations with stakeholders are necessary before taking any further steps.
He said that discussions with the stakeholders are important before taking any decisions regarding the Shillong line. Hence, the government needs to consult and take all stakeholders into confidence. The CM emphasized that they require time to discuss matters with them and only once they come to some kind of understanding, they will be able to go ahead with things.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister also informed that at Byrnihat, there are certain concerns arising, and the state government is still engaging and discussing with the different stakeholders. However, to boost the State’s economy, the Chief Minister suggested that they can start with goods trains. This will benefit the state’s economy, and goods train is something that can be started before passenger trains.
He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is concerned and would like to see that all the capitals of the states are connected with railways in the larger interest of the nation, ensuring that the overall economy becomes prosperous.
While acknowledging the benefits of connecting all states and capitals with railways, the Chief Minister also highlighted the complications involved in each state. In Meghalaya, the railway has been a sensitive issue, and different organizations and traditional heads have raised concerns regarding issues of influx. Therefore, it is important to carry people along and build confidence in them, he maintained.
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