Guwahati: The Meghalaya government has filed a first information report (FIR) against a Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) inspector for seizing and sealing the lower terminal site of the Rs 151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project.
Commissioner and Secretary of the Tourism Department R.M. Kurbah confirmed the development on Wednesday. She said the FIR had been registered at Laban Police Station against the individual involved in the seizure. No arrests have been made so far, and police are investigating the matter.
Kurbah maintained that the site at Madan Laban is government property and that no construction work has begun on the project.
Explaining the purpose of activities at the site, Kurbah said the Tourism Department had been using the land to establish a temporary camp for preparatory work. The arrangements were necessary to conduct soil testing, develop an approach road and level the ground before construction could begin.
These activities, she said, were also intended to ensure compliance with the environmental and social safeguards required under the New Development Bank-funded project.
“There has been no construction till date,” Kurbah said, denying allegations that foundations had been dug for the ropeway’s six pillars or that work had begun at the lower terminal or proposed tower locations.
She described the seizure and sealing of the site as unauthorised, arguing that government property could not be taken over without following the prescribed legal process.
Kurbah clarified that the FIR targeted the individual who seized the site and was not directed against the KHADC as an institution. The department has initiated legal steps to regain control of the property.
Addressing concerns over the executing company’s trading licence, Kurbah said the government had issued the work order on October 25, 2025, after following due process.
According to her, the contractor obtained a no-objection certificate from the concerned Dorbar on May 4, 2026, and applied to the KHADC for a trading licence on May 18.
The company subsequently sought another no-objection certificate from the Syiem of Hima Mylliem on July 16. It later received additional clearances, including one from the Dorbar of the five shnong and eleven Kur of Laban-Mylliem on September 28.
Kurbah said the licensing process had been underway since May and should not be interpreted as an attempt to begin construction without the required permissions.
On concerns over public consultation, Kurbah said the process for the ropeway project differed from that followed for conventional infrastructure projects such as highways.
She said the Meghalaya Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation had engaged with the concerned Dorbars. Consultations with Raid Laban took place in 2022, and no objections were raised at that time, she added.
Kurbah also addressed concerns about the nearby Lum Shillong water catchment. She said the concerns had previously been explained to stakeholders and maintained that the proposed towers would be located along the ridge without affecting the water source in the manner alleged by some objectors.
Asked whether the government would suspend the ropeway project, Kurbah said no such decision had been taken.
She added that the government would assess the situation over the coming days as discussions and negotiations continued.
The Rs 151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project has faced objections over the site, licensing and consultation process. The government, however, maintains that construction has not started and that preparatory activities were being carried out in accordance with the project’s requirements.