SHILLONG : The Joint Action Committee (JAC), opposing the proposed Shillong Ropeway Project at Lum Shyllong, has accused the Dorbar Raid Pyllun of misleading the public and alleged that money has already been received without the knowledge of local residents.

The allegations came after JAC members walked out of a government meeting on Thursday, with the committee expressing dissatisfaction over the explanations given regarding the proposed project and the alleged public hearing in 2022.

JAC member Venetia Mawlong claimed that no public hearing had been held in 2022, contradicting the account that the matter had been communicated to different Dorbars for public announcement.

“We walked out because that old Secretary of Dorbar Raid Pyllun, you heard what he spoke, it was all lies. There was no public hearing in 2022, but now they are saying it was sent to different Dorbars for announcement,” Mawlong said.

She maintained that no announcement regarding the public hearing had been made in any of the seven localities concerned.

“Even if we were not present in the locality, others were there. If in Laban there was no announcement, I think in Lumparing, Madan Laban, Kench’s Trace and so on—in all seven Dorbars—someone would have heard. But what is sad is that in all seven Dorbars there was no announcement for a public hearing,” she said.

Mawlong also questioned the lack of response to letters sent by the JAC to the president and secretary of the Dorbar Raid Pyllun, saying the committee had received no reply to date.

“From the JAC side we wrote to the President and Secretary of Raid Dorbar Pyllun, but those letters have not been replied to till date. But the Secretary says forget what has happened. How can we just forget?” she asked.

Raising further concerns over transparency, Mawlong alleged that money had already been given to the concerned representatives without the residents being informed.

“There is something because the money has already been given to them. There is something behind that only these Rangbahs know, we the residents do not know,” she alleged.

The JAC member also stressed the importance of protecting Lum Shyllong, arguing that the hill plays a crucial role in supplying drinking water to Shillong.

“We are not fools. We have the wisdom and understanding that we cannot accept the ropeway to come there and destroy Lum Shyllong. Lum Shyllong does not provide water only to Laban, it provides drinking water to the entire Shillong city,” she said.

Clarifying the committee’s position, Mawlong said the JAC was not against development but wanted the government to relocate the proposed project to another site.

“We are not anti-development, but our request to the government, especially to the Rangbahs who auctioned Lum Shyllong, is to shift it to some other place, not at Lum Shyllong,” she added.

Describing Thursday’s meeting as inconclusive, Mawlong said the discussions had failed to produce a solution to the concerns raised by the committee.

“The discussion is over and it ended only in discussion. We want the government to solve this problem. We came for talks but it led nowhere,” she said.

Mawlong further stated that the JAC had issued an ultimatum to the Rangbah Shnongs, warning that they would have to step down if they failed to resolve the issue.

She said the committee would meet to decide its next course of action following the inconclusive discussions.