Meghalaya cabinet Minister and spokesperson of MDA 2.0 Government Dr M Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday said Mendipather railway station is bringing a lot of positives for Garo Hills region.
Talking to reporters, she said, that those who are opposing the railway line should do a case study on Mendipathar railway station and its impact on the tribal living in Garo Hills region.
“Whoever is opposed to railways should at least go to Mendipathar and do a case study and find out whether or not this influx has happened or whether or not there is a delusion of tribal communities there. I haven’t embarked on a study as such but I know a lot of their produce and products are now being transported far more efficiently and at a lesser cost,” Lyngdoh said.
Commenting on the recent opposition against the government decision on railway connectivity in East Jaintia Hills, Lyngdoh assured that the MDA government will not do anything which is anti-people.
“We have to have a community that is ready for any development.
Whether or not the government will take further action to expand its railway connectivity in the state , I don’t know, maybe the Garo Hills is ready. So the region that is ready will get it first and the regions that are not ready and are resisting will obviously not. We don’t want to go against anybody’s wishes because at the end of the day we are governed for the people and by the people.”
Lyngdoh said, “Therefore, we are saying wherever we have an operating railway head let us go there and find out the impact assessment study means that go to that place, go to that railway heads and find out the pros and cons, the negative and the positive.”
“Whether or not it is also possible to have, I know technology has advanced greatly but if you notice every other hill station has one railway track and that is usually a tourism project, it is very rarely a lifeline for that hill station. Look at Shimla, Darjeeling, they continue to only be tourism project but let us see whether this works but Mendipathar is doing very well I am told but it is just that I have not engaged actively but from hearsay lots of our produce and products are going across at a much cheaper rate, technology and other exchange activities are also now coming to Garo Hills much quickly,” she said.