CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Amid persistent opposition from Khasi Hills against railway connectivity, the Meghalaya State working president and in-charge of Garo Hills, Marcuise N Marak, has drawn a sharp political line, asserting Garo Hills’ unequivocal demand for railway expansion.
“If Khasi Hills is not going for railway, then definitely we in Garo Hills will demand as we need extension of railways from Mendipathar,” Marak declared, signalling a shift in regional political assertion over infrastructural priorities.
MLA from Siju-Rongara, Rakkam A Sangma, has already placed an official demand for railway lines to extend till Baghmara, while similar voices are growing louder for connectivity to West Garo Hills. The mounting pressure from elected representatives reflects a paradigm shift in Garo Hills’ developmental outlook, decoupling itself from the anti-railway sentiment prevailing in Khasi Hills.
“If Khasi Hills side they don’t agree for the railway definitely Garo Hills will go for it,” Marak reaffirmed, calling the opposition in central Meghalaya a stumbling block to state-wide progress.
He further advocated for strategic connectivity, stating, “I would like to seek an extension of Railway line to Williamnagar but again appropriate will be to connect it to West and South West Garo Hills also because there are lots of agriculture activities in those areas.”
With the Brahmaputra bridge project connecting Phulbari to Dhubri nearing reality, Marak underscored the transformative potential: “If it is connected and once the bridge over Brahmaputra is connecting Phulbari to Dhubri is connected then it will be a very convenient place for business activities in West Garo Hills.”
Asserting the logic of infrastructure-driven inclusive development, Marak stated, “If the railway lines is extended to Baghmara definitely it will go through Williamnagar.”
Also Read: Meghalaya: Filmmaker Dominic Sangma wins National Award for Garo film ‘Rapture’
Also Watch: