Meghalaya Tourism Minister Timothy D Shira on Tuesday said the impasse between tourist taxi associations of Assam and Meghalaya, which led to road blockades following the August 19 violence in Shillong, had been resolved and there should be no further ban on tourist vehicle movement.
Shira said the blockade had brought tourist inflow to a halt and stressed that vehicles from both states should be allowed to operate freely. He said the issue was resolved following discussions between the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya.
The minister also said Meghalaya would compensate Assam-registered tourist vehicles damaged during the violence. However, he ruled out compensation for homestay operators and hoteliers who suffered losses due to tourist cancellations.
Shira stressed the need for reciprocity between the two states, saying tourist associations in Assam should also allow Meghalaya-registered vehicles to enter Assam.
He urged both sides to exercise caution and consider the possible repercussions of actions taken in either state, saying developments in one state could trigger reactions in the other.
