Due to the recent border conflict and road blockades, the tourism industry in Meghalaya has faced nearly 100 percent loss. This was revealed by the state’s Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira on the second day of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s budget session. He also stated that due to the abnormal decline in the number of tourists, local hotels, homestays and traders have fallen into deep financial crisis.
The Tourism Minister said that the issue has been resolved after successful talks at the Chief Minister level of both states. Therefore, he made it clear that there is no need to impose any kind of blockade on the inter-state roads or restriction on vehicular movement now. The Minister also announced in the Assembly that the Meghalaya government will provide compensation to the owners of Assam-registered vehicles that were damaged during the period of conflict.
Emphasizing on normalizing the situation, Shira said, “Taxi and other vehicle drivers from Assam should be able to travel to Meghalaya as before, and similarly, Meghalaya vehicles should also be allowed to move freely in Assam.” He warned that even after the issue is resolved, any kind of bandh or road blockade could again complicate the situation.
Appealing for maintaining peace, the Meghalaya government said that its main objective now is to restore the confidence of tourists and ensure smooth transportation between the two states.