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 statement came a day after members of the JAC staged a protest outside the Secretariat, demanding that the proposed ropeway project be scrapped or shifted from Shillong Peak.
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 decision to stage a protest outside the Secretariat, saying that such an approach was not the right way to seek discussions with the government.
“But not this way. You cannot just say, let us go to the Secretariat,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government wanted to take everyone along and remained willing to discuss any concerns surrounding the project.
He stressed that the ropeway was being developed in the interest of the people of Meghalaya and not for the benefit of 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,” Tynsong said.
Responding to the JAC’s demand to scrap or relocate the project, he questioned the basis of the committee’s objections, particularly its concerns over possible damage to water bodies, tree felling and environmental consequences.
“No. On what basis? What is the claim?” he asked.
Tynsong said the project had undergone detailed examination, with experts from different fields inspecting the proposed site before the government proceeded with the necessary clearances.
“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.
He added that the government had obtained the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) after fulfilling the necessary regulatory requirements.
“Once we met all those requirements, all these prerequisite regulations, we got all the NOCs and then we started all the work,” he said.
Asked whether the protests against the ropeway were politically motivated, Tynsong declined to make any such suggestion, saying he respected the concerns being raised by citizens.
“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 maintained that citizens had every right to express their concerns but urged the JAC to examine the detailed presentation already made by the government.
“Let us sit down. We have already done the presentation and the presentation is very detailed, it is also clear,” he said.
Rejecting claims that the ropeway could cause water bodies to dry up, Tynsong described the project as 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 argued that ropeway projects were among the best infrastructure options available in the country in terms of compatibility with the ecosystem.
“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,” Tynsong said.