Shillong, Sep 18: The opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) has strongly backed the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) and termed an act of “barbarism” the blockade against Meghalaya vehicles by Assam-based transport operators at Khanapara in Guwahati on Tuesday.
“The transport associations’ decision to block Meghalaya-registered vehicles from entering Assam was nothing short of barbarism,” said VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh in a statement.
Condemning the reaction of Assam-based transport associations to AKMTTA’s strike against entry of outside taxis in Meghalaya’s tourist sports, the VPP said, “While the party strongly backs the cause of the taxi operators in the state whose demand is rational and legitimate, the action of the Assam counterparts is highly condemnable.”
Myrboh also termed the blockade against Meghalaya-registered vehicles as an “act of intimidation and bullying” while mentioning that even the vehicle of people’s representative was also not spared.
The VPP also accused the Assam-based associations of being desperate to exploit the tourism industry of Khasi-Jaintia Hills without considering justified sharing of economic benefits with their Khasi-Jaintia Hills counterparts.
Meanwhile, the VPP blamed the state government for the situation, saying, “Such situation could have been avoided had the MDA Government had the iota of consideration for the well-being of ordinary people of the state.”
The party has demanded for immediate measures to bring maximum benefits to the state’s stakeholders in the tourism industry.
