SHILLONG : The Meghalaya government is willing to hold another round of discussions with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) opposing the Shillong Ropeway Project, but will not entertain pressure tactics, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong said on Thursday.

His remarks came a day after the JAC staged a protest outside the Secretariat, demanding the government scrap or relocate the proposed ropeway project.

Tynsong maintained that the government had never closed its doors to dialogue, pointing out that several meetings had already been held with the committee.

“Right from day one, meetings were held not less than 3-4 times. Still the door is open. If they want to talk again, we are there,” he said.

However, he questioned the JAC’s approach of staging protests outside the Secretariat to seek discussions.

“But not this way. You cannot just say, let us go to the Secretariat,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister stressed that the government remained committed to taking everyone on board, adding that the project was intended to serve the interests of the people of Meghalaya rather than individual political leaders.

“Be it a big project or a small project, ultimately it is for the interest of the people of the state. It is not for the interest of Prestone or Conrad or Sniawbhalang, it is for the interest of everybody who are here in Meghalaya,” he said.

Responding to the JAC’s demand to scrap or shift the project over concerns about environmental damage, the felling of trees and the possible impact on water bodies, Tynsong questioned the basis of such claims.

“No. On what basis? What is the claim?” he asked.

He said the project had undergone detailed examination by experts from different fields, who had visited the site before submitting their findings to the government.

“This project was initiated long time back and due examination has been done. We engaged experts in different spheres. They went and saw everything on the spot and ultimately the report was submitted to us,” he said.

According to Tynsong, the government proceeded with the project only after fulfilling the necessary requirements and obtaining the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

“Once we met all those requirements, all these prerequisite regulations, we got all the NOCs and then we started all the work,” he added.

Asked whether the protest against the ropeway project was politically motivated, Tynsong declined to make such a judgement, saying the concerns raised by the public deserved consideration.

“I will not say anything on that. Whether it is political or non-political, the issue, the concern that they have, I do appreciate that,” he said.

He added that citizens had every right to raise concerns and express their views, but urged the JAC to examine the government’s detailed presentation on the project before drawing conclusions.

“Let us sit down. We have already done the presentation and the presentation is very detailed, it is also clear,” he said.

Rejecting allegations that the Shillong Ropeway Project could cause water bodies to dry up, Tynsong maintained that the project was environmentally friendly.

“If you are still saying, if this project comes, the water bodies will dry up, I think that is wrong. You need to understand one thing, the ropeway project is an eco-friendly project,” he said.

He further described ropeway transportation as one of the best project options in the country, citing its compatibility with the environment.

“You go to the Government of India, go to any state government, you will get all this. The best project as of today in the entire nation is ropeway, because it is in line with the ecosystem that we have,” he said.