Shillong: Meghalaya’s government refuses to move the Shillong Peak Ropeway project. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh confirmed on Saturday that the state will keep the current site. Moving the alignment forces the entire approval process to start over. Five central ministries already cleared the current site. The government would lose those gains if it budged.
Lyngdoh remains open to talks with the Joint Action Committee, or JAC. He demanded these meetings stay calm. He forbids sloganeering and outbursts. The minister recalled a recent attempt by colleague Sanbor Shullai to meet protesters. That session devolved into a rally instead of a discussion.
“When people only shout themselves hoarse to the point that nothing else can be heard, then there is absolutely no point for discussion,” Lyngdoh said. He wants both sides to listen.
The JAC opposes the project due to environmental fears. They cite tree felling and a lack of public consultation. They want the site moved or the plan killed. Lyngdoh questioned their timing. The project started in 2022 under the first Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government. He noted that no one complained during his first stint as Tourism Minister in 2023. “Why the sudden dissent? Why the sudden protest?” he asked.
The government claims the ropeway will boost tourism for Shillong. It aims to drive visitors to Sohra, Mawlynnong, Laitlum, and Sweet Falls. With both sides standing firm, no breakthrough appears likely. The project requires new soil tests and vegetation studies if moved.
Updated at 15th November 2026 at 6:00pm
Lyngdoh specified that the project's Memorandum of Understanding hit the books on January 16, 2023. He noted he was only a candidate for the Assembly at the time the deal was inked and did not hold office when the project first kicked off in 2022.
Reflecting on the timeline, the minister emphasized the nearly five-year gap between the project's inception and the current opposition. He noted that even with his own history in the post, the grievance campaign represents a sudden shift in public sentiment.
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