Shillong, Sept 23:The policies of the neighbouring states will be studied to understand the movement of the tourist taxis aimed at addressing the demands of the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA).
The association wanted the government to restrict the movement of tourist taxis from outside the state.
A meeting was convened by the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Transport, Sniawbhalang Dhar, with the members of AKMTTA on Tuesday.
Dhar told reporters that both parties have agreed to work together to come up with a decision after getting reports from the neighbouring states.
“Yes, it is an important issue, and we need some time to examine it properly on the pros and cons so that there are no legal problems. That is the decision we took today. We will try to resolve the issue at the earliest possible time.”
Dhar said as per the suggestions of the AKMTTA, the government has agreed to study the policies of neighboring states, including Sikkim, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, to determine the best approach for resolving the issues faced by Meghalaya tourist taxis.
“We have assured them that we will discuss with a few neighbouring states and we will compare their policies and come to the right decision,” he said.
He added that the Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Transport will coordinate with other states to compare policies and come up with a decision that works for Meghalaya.
He said until a decision is made, the status quo will be maintained.
“Protest should not be there since the discussion is on. We are together and it was a very fruitful meeting, and hopefully there will be a positive outcome in the coming days”, he said.
The deputy CM said that AKMTTA had asked the government to come up with a policy to ensure that local people benefit from the tourist spots.
Dhar said the government is appealing to the tourist taxi associations from both Assam and Meghalaya that, while the discussion is on, they should not disturb the movement of the people.
AKMTTA spokesperson Balajied Jyrwa said a new committee from the Transport department will be formed instead of the existing panel headed by tourism official CVD Diengdoh.
He hoped that the next meeting would be held by mid-October.
