The Jaintia National Council (JNC) has expressed surprise that cabinet minister Kyrmen Shylla, it said, has no information about the proposed railway project in East Jaintia Hills.
JNC president Sambormi Lyngdoh said that the pressure group had recently met Shylla, who told them that it is too early to judge as he has no information about the railway project in the region.
In July, it was revealed that the option of bringing railways to East Jaintia Hills was being considered after decades of opposition stalled the plan to introduce rail to Ri-Bhoi and East Khasi Hills. East Jaintia Hills was thought a possible alternative as it is rich in coal and limestone and has several cement factories there, which could make freight rail an attractive proposition. However, pressure groups made it clear that they are against bringing rail to Jaintia Hills as well, ostensibly because they fear it will lead to a massive influx of migrants.
“It is surprising to see that the minister has no knowledge about the government intention on the project and whether it is for the goods train or passenger train,” Lyngdoh said.
Stating that if the government wants development to be a priority then it should instead look at bringing good roads, educational institutions, etc to the district. Shylla, in partial response to this, had told the JNC that having a railway would reduce pressure on the road network, thereby protecting the roads from damage.