The Meghalaya Government remains firm on proceeding with the proposed ₹151-crore Shillong ropeway project despite mounting opposition, with Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh warning that attempts to derail the initiative could have repercussions extending far beyond the 2028 Assembly elections. Suggesting possible political instigation behind the resistance, Lyngdoh cautioned that portraying Meghalaya as an unstable and unsafe investment destination could not only impact the electoral results in 2028 but also undermine the State’s economic prospects for the next 40 years or even longer. He said opposition to infrastructure projects even after agreements had been signed could discourage the Government of India, other agencies and private investors from investing in Meghalaya, with consequences for generations to come.
“I will not rule out political instigation because we are over a year away general elections. People will like to see that there is instability, opponents to the government like to report back that the MDA 2 promised so many projects but failed and it failed because they made sure that it fails,” Lyngdoh said on Thursday. Asserting that the government would proceed with the project while continuing consultations, he said the company had applied for a trade licence in May and that the licence was expected to be issued shortly. He also confirmed that the lock on the company’s premises had been broken on Wednesday. Ruling out relocating the project, he said, “it’s not cut and paste job that you will take it somewhere, not possible to take away ropeway project somewhere else.”
The Tourism Minister also reponded to environmental concerns, particularly those relating to water bodies. Further, Lyngdoh maintained that Shillong Peak was situated more than 3.15 km from the project sites. He said the government was willing to take stakeholders to Sikkim to familiarise them with the ropeway infrastructure. On objections over the consultation process and the demand for a public hearing, he said the government had repeatedly engaged with the Raid Laban Durbar Pyllun and the seven Durbars. He maintained that public consultations had been convened but attendance remained poor despite repeated efforts, adding that those who attended had signed in agreement with the project. He also cited the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notification of April 27, 2022, which recommended the exclusion of aerial ropeway projects from the ambit of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, subject to environmental safeguards.
The minister said the agreement between the Government and the Raid Durbar Pyllun had no cooling-off period and was binding upon its signing. He maintained that all necessary clearances from various Union government ministries and other required permissions had been obtained.
Lyngdoh further reiterated that the government was not shutting its doors to dialogue but remained committed to implementing the project as part of its efforts to enhance Meghalaya’s tourism potential.
