Shillong Ropeway Row Escalates: JAC Walks Out With Four-Day Ultimatum
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The standoff over the proposed ₹151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project intensified on Thursday after the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against the project staged a dramatic walkout from a government-convened stakeholders’ meeting at the State Convention Centre.
Tensions boiled over during a Q&A session when the Raid Laban Dorbar Pyllun claimed residents were informed about past consultations. JAC leaders fiercely rejected this, accusing the government of relying on an illegitimate, poorly publicized 2022 hearing.
Refusing to compromise, the JAC submitted a 10-point charter of demands and gave the state an October 26 deadline to scrap or relocate the 913-metre monocable project. “We will not stop this agitation,” warned JAC Secretary Dr. Linda Marbaniang, citing severe threats to local water security and forest ecosystems.
Conversely, Tourism Commissioner & Secretary Cyril V. D. Diengdoh assured the project is safe, green, and completely avoids local water lines. Officials stressed the ropeway would operate above the tree canopy to boost tourism while reducing traffic congestion. With only four days left on the ultimatum, the JAC has threatened "severe escalation" if the project is not pulled from Lum Shyllong.