Shillong will probably continue to be the sole Indian capital without a railway line since the state government has not persuaded political parties, civil society organisations, or pressure groups to support the railway projects. The Ministry of Railways has now put the onus on the state government to convince the stakeholders within a time limit.
Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday stopped short of calling off the two railway projects—Tetelia-Byrnihat and Byrnihat-Shillong—for which around Rs 200 crore has been sanctioned. Vaishnaw argued that convincing the stakeholders is the sole duty of the state government. “As per our Constitution, both the Centre and the states have their own responsibility to carry out such projects of national importance with huge economic significance,” the minister said replying to a query at a press conference on the railways in the hill states.
