Shillong, June 12: A day after twenty villages falling under Raid Tynring stand firm to oppose the New Shillong Township (NST) Project, the government has come up with a statement that it is willing to accept suggestions and grievances from the affected villagers.
It may be mentioned here that the residents of as many as 14 villages, Rangbah Shnong and local NGOs issued a two-week deadline to the State Government to come out with a written assurance of stopping land acquisition for the proposed NST Project along the Mawdiangdiang stretch till Diengpasoh village.
Whatever grievances of the affected villagers, the government is ready to accept those in ‘black and white’, said Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh here on Wednesday.
Maintaining that the government is not in a hurry to acquire these lands, Lyngdoh said that the government is not insensitive to the cause of the people rather it is trying to bring in more development to the uncovered areas at the same time, to de-congest the city.
“As far as land alienation is concerned, the department had already mapped the areas to be covered under this project of which cultivated land are left untouched,” Lyngdoh said adding that the government will not do anything that is anti-people.
The Minister also stated that opposition will only bring in hurdles to development.
Stating examples of Shillong city which is a city that is not planned Lyngdoh said that if the city was well-planned 20 years ago, Shillong wouldn’t have faced the problem as it is facing now.
Meanwhile, questioning the real agitators in the scene, Lyngdoh said “Are the locals seriously concerned or is it that some interest groups are tutoring them?” while reiterating her stand saying “My stand is that development will only come if certain initiatives like the NST are implemented, leaving no room for any kind of remorse in the coming 10 years.”(SP News)
