East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh has said that there are no solutions to the traffic jam chaos in Shillong if people are not willing to donate their land.
“Don’t ever expect the traffic jam chaos to get solved even if all the administrative heads of Shillong city are shifted to New Shillong Township because when people are doing well and want to purchase vehicles no one can stop them,” she told Highland Post recently.
The land to widen roads and build new roads to ease the traffic situation has to come from the public as most land in Meghalaya is owned by the people and not the state, she added.
“If you (the public) are all complaining that the traffic problem has reached a critical stage, then please come forward and donate land for expansion of the roads,” Lyngdoh said, adding that this is the same case in her constituency.
It will not be possible for the state government to pay the market rate for land to widen or build new roads in the city because of the astronomical prices that real estate fetches in Shillong.
“We are already a resource-poor state and the public should be active partners in development but most of the time they are not willing to even let go of an inch of land but keep blaming the government for everything,” she said.
Lyngdoh also criticised the public for complaining when traffic arrangements are made by the authorities (such as by making a road one way) when these are being done to help ease the situation and she also pointed fingers at a lack of civic responsibility, such as haphazard parking, irresponsible driving and lack of respect for embarkment and disembarkment points.
