HYC slams CM over Railway project

From A Reporter

SHILLONG, June 23: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC)’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has expressed surprise on the ‘adamant attitude’ of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in connection with the Railway project in Ri-Bhoi. 

The HYC expressed displeasure for not calling the Council members for discussions over the project.

The Council had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma demanding the immediate halt on the construction of a Railway project in Ri-Bhoi district.

They further stressed that the Chief Minister should forget about contemplating on any railway project in the state be it the project in Ri-Bhoi or Shillong-Sohra or a project which brings railway lines to Jaintia Hills without first bring proper mechanism to check influx like the ILP. 

Addressing the reporters in the city on Friday, HYC general secretary Robert June Kharjahrin said, “The Chief Minister has said that he is not interested to call for talks with the Khasi Student Union (KSU) as long as they are indulged in violent activities, however we as a Council has not engaged on any illegal activities concerning the issue then why has he (Sangma) not invited us for talks.”

He added, “If the government can invite militant groups for talks then why can’t the government do the same with the NGOs in the state opposing the Railway project for discussion.”

The Council has further demanded the government to invite all the anti-railway pressure groups including the KSU for talks to discuss on the pros and cons of the coming of railway into the state.

He further said before giving the green sigl to the North Eastern Railway Frontier (NERF) to go ahead with the project in Ri-bhoi, the government had not conducted any public hearing to discuss on the matter however on the facilitation centres there was a public hearing.

In this connection, Kharjahrin said “The present Chief Minister has bulldozed the opinion of the people by forcefully bring the railway project without any proper public consultation.”