The prolonged standoff between tourist taxi associations of Meghalaya and Assam — triggered by road blockades after violence on August 19 — has been resolved following intervention at the chief ministerial level, Meghalaya Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira said on August 25. He said the decision, reached after talks between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, should end restrictions on the movement of tourist vehicles between the neighbouring states.
Shira said the dispute had severely hit tourist inflows into Meghalaya, with road blockades bringing movement to a “virtual standstill.” “There were no tourists coming in and how will they be able to come as the roads were blocked,” he said, stressing the economic toll on the tourism sector and businesses that depend on visitors.
The minister underscored that the resolution requires cooperation and reciprocity from both sides: tourist associations in Assam should permit Meghalaya-registered tourist vehicles to operate there, and Meghalaya-based associations should allow Assam-registered tourist vehicles to enter and function in Meghalaya.
Addressing property damage during the unrest, Shira said the Meghalaya government would compensate owners of tourist vehicles from Assam that were damaged. “Whatever damages caused to Assam vehicles, it will be compensated by the government of Meghalaya,” he said, adding that this measure removes a stated reason for continuing restrictions.
However, Shira ruled out state compensation for tourism businesses that suffered losses from cancellations and fewer visitors. “There will be no compensation for the homestay,” he said when asked about hoteliers and homestay operators affected by the decline in arrivals.
Officials say the development is expected to provide immediate relief to the tourism industries in both states, which rely on free inter-state movement of visitors and vehicles. Shira also appealed for restraint in reactions to incidents, warning that actions taken in one state could trigger consequences in the other: “My appeal is that we should understand, any action we are taking here will have a reaction or not in Assam,” he said, urging caution and responsibility to protect local businesses and tourism.
