The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Wednesday asked the state government to close the chapter on introducing railways in the state. “Our stand is very clear. The state and central governments should close the chapter on railways. Implement the inner-line permit (ILP) first and then we will discuss,” KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said. After the Centre issued a “have it or leave it” ultimatum to the state government, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma met the Minister for Railways and warned that Meghalaya would lose Rs 200 crore given for land acquisition if the railway projects could not be implemented.
“Without ILP, without any mechanism (to check infiltration), we won’t talk about railways. Not even goods train. We need a mechanism, not railway tracks. Let the government of India implement ILP first,” the KSU president said. He insisted the loss of Rs 200 crore cannot be a reason to not “say no” to the railways. Asked about the state government holding consultations with all stakeholders toward finding a solution, he said the union would take a call on whether or not to attend such meetings if they are invited for talks on the issue.
+ There are no comments
Add yours