The standoff between tourist taxi associations of Assam and Meghalaya was resolved on Tuesday after both states agreed to ensure hassle-free movement of tourist vehicles and address concerns related to parking, toilet facilities and police checking.
The agreement was reached during a joint meeting in Shillong attended by seven tourist taxi associations from Assam and five associations from Meghalaya. Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora jointly chaired the meeting.
Dhar said the meeting was positive and the genuine concerns raised by the associations were accepted by both sides.
The meeting was initially chaired by the transport commissioners of Assam and Meghalaya before the two ministers joined the discussions.
Parking, Toilet Facilities Among Key Concerns
According to Dhar, Meghalaya-based tourist taxi associations raised concerns over the availability of parking space for tourist vehicles at the airport and toilet facilities.
He said the Assam government had accepted the demands and would take the necessary steps to address them.
The two state governments have also directed their respective police forces to coordinate during vehicle checking. The move is aimed at preventing unnecessary harassment of tourist taxi operators and ensuring smoother movement of vehicles between Assam and Meghalaya.
“Both associations have committed to work together from now onwards. If any minor lapses remain, they will be resolved within a few days,” Dhar said.
Sub-Committee to Address Future Issues
To prevent similar disruptions in the future, a sub-committee headed by the Transport Commissioners of Assam and Meghalaya will meet whenever required to address issues between the tourist taxi associations of the two states.
The mechanism is expected to help resolve operational concerns quickly and maintain smooth coordination between the associations.
Atul Bora Recalls August 22 Meeting
Assam Minister Atul Bora recalled that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had directed him to immediately engage with Meghalaya following the violence on August 19.
Bora said a meeting was subsequently held in Guwahati on August 22, following which several resolutions were adopted. He also said he met the protesters, after which they withdrew their protest.
According to Bora, Tuesday’s follow-up meeting was held at the request of the Meghalaya-based associations.
“The associations are more or less happy. We are working on the resolutions adopted on August 23. Now the situation is normal,” Bora said.
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