SHILLONG, NOV 5: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Thursday declared that the Shillong Peak Ropeway Project is a fait accompli, asserting that the government has all records, clearances and a binding 30-year lease agreement in place.
“Claims can always be made, but we have all the records with us,” Lyngdoh said, hours after taking charge of the Tourism Department following his re-induction into the Cabinet.
He said his first task was to clear doubts over the project and lay out the path ahead.
Holding up a map prepared by the PHE Department, Lyngdoh said no part of the ropeway alignment from Terminal 1 onwards is located near any water source or stream.
“The disturbance in that area, as per the report, is mostly due to construction of houses by people near streams and water bodies,” he said.
On the charge that the project encroaches on the sacred peak of Lei Shyllong, he said, “We have clearly shown you that a distance of 3.15 km separates the project site from the Shillong Peak.”
Lyngdoh traced the project to demands dating back to the 1980s, when visitors complained of ID checks, restricted entry and closed gates at the Shillong viewpoint. The ropeway was conceived to provide open access, with a three-minute ride from Terminal 1 to the viewpoint.
He said all clearances from Government of India ministries were obtained, along with NOCs from the Airports Authority of India, Air Force and Army. Written clearances from local dorbars date back to 2022, and a land lease agreement with the Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun comprising seven dorbar shnongs was signed on January 16, 2023. Land for compensatory plantation was transferred in September 2023.
“Objections first surfaced last year. Now this is the fourth year of a 30-year agreement. The question of going back does not arise,” he said.
There is no cooling-off period in the agreement, he added. “The day the two entities signed this MoU, it is as good as sealed, signed and sealed for good.”
Lyngdoh said the government held repeated consultations, not just one. The dorbars used PA systems to invite residents, but attendance was poor as the land is community land with no private land involved.
“Those dorbars were elected by the same people who are questioning them now after four years,” he said.
He cited the Environment Ministry notification of April 27, 2022, which recommended excluding aerial ropeways from the EIA Notification 2006, calling them environment-friendly with least impact compared to roads and highways.
Lyngdoh also questioned the motives of the opposition, noting that the group Greentech had earlier opposed temporary structures at Lumphongdeng while remaining silent for 18 years on a permanent boathouse leased by MeECL since 2008.
He said Wednesday’s engagement showed opponents were unwilling to explain their grounds and only repeated, “we are against, we oppose.”
Pointing to the inauguration by the President of India, Lyngdoh said Rashtrapati Bhavan would have done due diligence before associating the office with the project.
Asked about political instigation, he said, “I will not rule that out because we are just a year plus away from the general elections.”
“If we vitiate the environment where Government of India, other agencies or private parties feel that Meghalaya is not safe as an investment destination, then it will not impact just the results of the 2028 elections, it will impact Meghalaya in the next 40 years or even more,” Lyngdoh warned.
“Who would like to come and invest in a state where projects face opposition four years after signing of agreements?”
By Our Reporter
