Shillong, November 2: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday termed the ongoing opposition to the Shillong Ropeway Project as unfortunate, asserting that the State Government has already addressed the concerns raised by various organisations and individuals, while warning that continued protests could affect employment and livelihood opportunities for the state’s youth.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said the government remained open to discussing genuine concerns but maintained that opposing development projects without valid reasons was not a healthy trend in governance and politics. “It is really unfortunate. There were concerns raised by certain organizations and individuals and the department has clarified on almost all fronts. My concern right now is to find out what are the concerns and if there are any genuine issues, we should talk about it and figure it out, but opposing for the sake of opposing is not really a healthy trend in governance and in politics in general,” he said.
The Chief Minister stressed that objections to the project should be supported by valid reasoning and assured that the government was prepared to examine and address any genuine issues. He said the Ropeway Project had undergone extensive technical and environmental assessments over the past two and a half years, involving expert agencies responsible for examining various aspects of its implementation.
According to Sangma, concerns relating to environmental protection and other technical matters had already been examined and addressed. “We have been spending almost two and a half years on this project and all agencies involved in finding out all technical issues are very expert kind of agencies,” he said. He further stated that the Commissioner and Secretary of Industries and Tourism, along with the Managing Director of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), had provided detailed clarifications on the issues raised by organisations opposing the project.
Sangma maintained that the clarifications were sufficiently clear and that there was no justification for stopping the project at this stage. Emphasising the economic importance of the Ropeway Project, the Chief Minister said it was expected to significantly strengthen Meghalaya’s tourism sector and generate substantial employment opportunities.
He pointed out that while unemployment remained a major concern in the state, opposition to projects capable of generating jobs could adversely affect young people seeking livelihoods. “We all talk about job creation and complain that there are not enough jobs for our youth. Why are we doing this project? This project is going to boost tourism to a new level and the kind of opportunities that will come out of this are going to be huge,” Sangma said.
He claimed that the project could generate hundreds or even thousands of direct employment opportunities, besides creating thousands of additional jobs through tourism-related activities and supporting businesses. “Therefore if you are opposing this, you are affecting the livelihood and employment opportunities of our youth. We have to remember that,” he stated.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the government was willing to discuss environmental concerns, but said that, based on the technical assessments and explanations provided so far, he was not aware of any unresolved issues that would justify halting the project. He asserted that job creation was one of the primary reasons behind the government’s decision to pursue the project and warned that further delays could deprive local youth of potential economic opportunities.
Questioning the timing of the protests, Sangma said the project had been under consideration for approximately two and a half years and that major concerns could have been raised much earlier. “This is not something we just started doing yesterday. It has been going on for the past two and a half years, if there were major concerns, they could have been raised a long time back,” he said. He expressed concern that objections were being raised after the project had already been awarded, although he maintained that the government’s priority remained resolving the issues and ensuring the project’s completion. Sangma said the government would continue efforts to move the project forward while ensuring that the anticipated employment opportunities for young people were realised.
Meanwhile, responding to questions regarding possible action against an official of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in connection with the controversy surrounding the project, the Chief Minister said the State Government would act strictly in accordance with the law. “We have followed the rules and the law and whatever action has to be taken will be taken. Whoever the officer concerned from KHADC, who has gone ahead and done this, based on legal provisions, the state will act and the law will take its own course,” Sangma said.
His remarks come amid continuing opposition to the Shillong Ropeway Project and a dispute between the Tourism Department and KHADC over the sealing of the project contractor’s office, with opposing groups raising concerns over the project’s implementation.
