Shillong: The Shillong Peak Ropeway project is mired in a territorial battle. Titosstarwell Chyne, the KHADC Leader of Opposition, claims the District Council maintains total control over Sixth Schedule land. He asserts that outside companies must hold trading licences regardless of whether they work for the state or private entities. Chyne cited the 1954 regulation to back his claim. It mandates licensing for all non-tribal business activities.
Chyne pressed for answers regarding land ownership at the construction site. He questioned if the Council acted on government property or private land. The Council claims jurisdiction even over state lands, excluding specific zones like the European Ward. The UDP has now passed the issue to its Shillong City unit for a final verdict.
State officials are hitting back. Senior NPP leader Timothy D. Shira dismissed the protests as politically sponsored and suspicious. He challenged why the VPP-led KHADC waited until construction began to intervene. "Had objections been voiced at the beginning, he maintained, the project would not have been allowed to proceed in the first place," Shira said.
Public Health Engineering Minister Marcuise N. Marak insists all clearances are in place. He dismissed fears about water catchment areas near the site. The department relies on the Umiew River for city supply. Plans to tap the Umkhen River are also moving forward. Marak deferred all location-specific questions to the Tourism Minister.
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