Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma on March 8 said that state the government was getting positive response on introduction of a goods train in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region in Meghalaya.
Speaking on the sidelines of the release of a book ‘Meghalaya on the move’, to celebrate the completion of three years of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, Sangma said that the state can at least plan goods train services. “We can at least bring a goods train to start off,” Sangma said.
The chief minister said that the issue of railway is a long pending one and according to him introduction of trains require consultation with stakeholders and confidence building should be carried out.
Several pressure groups in Meghalaya have voiced their opinion against the introduction of railway services in the state. They say that introduction of trains will cause large-scale influx into the state.
“People should realize the long-term benefits of railways,” Sangma said even as he said that the state faced difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
The chief minister said that the facilitation centre at Umling, Ri-Bhoi district has been set-up to regulate the entry of people from outside the state and the one at Mendipathar in North Garo Hills is also ready.
