Hurdles cleared for road projects: Mukul
Our Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, who returned from an official trip to Switzerland on Tuesday, has said that there were no hurdles for the two mega road projects in the State, since the contentious land acquisition issue had already been resolved.
Talking to The Shillong Times after landing in New Delhi on Tuesday, Dr Sangma said earlier there were problems with land acquisition in both the projects but the NHAI has already worked out different alignments in both the cases.
The Chief Minister added that the controversial land would not be acquired any more and alternative land has already been earmarked for the two projects — the 61.80-km four-laning of Umiam-Jorabat National Highway and the 47.06-km Shillong By-pass.
“The Chief Secretary and other concerned officials are seized of the matter and there would not be any further problem, the Chief Minister said.
Work for widening of NH-40 began early this year, but it came to a standstill at Umsning in Ri-Bhoi district after controversy relating to land compensation and re-alignment cropped up recently.
The Rs 220.35-crore Shillong by-pass project, on the other hand, is facing similar opposition in Mawryngkneng, East Khasi Hills from NGOs and land owners.
Last month, some NGOs and land owners from Mawryngkneng had claimed that the project has strayed away from its original alignment.
Both the projects are being monitored directly by the NHAI, although the construction is being done by private construction companies — GR Cheetak in the case of Shillong by-pass and four-laning of NH 40 by Infrastructure and Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. and Ramky Infrastructure Ltd.