Land owners, Umsning Town Committee want four-lane road along existing highway
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In what might be a major relief for the State Government, land owners of Ri-Bhoi district and the Umsning Town Committee on Friday threw their weight behind the State Government to construct the four-lane road from the existing NH 40 at Umsning without diversion.
The latest development has come as a setback for the Ri-Bhoi Joint Action Committee (JAC) which is opposing the construction of the four-lane road from the existing Umsning highway.
Talking to media persons on Friday, Rangbah Shnong of Umsning Patarim, SA Kylla, said, “We appreciate the State Government for taking the decision to introduce the four-lane from the existing road at Umsning.”
According to the landowners and members of the Umsning Town Committee, the four-lane road should be constructed through the existing thoroughfare since the State Assembly had taken this decision in unison in March 2011.
Kylla also claimed that during a public hearing held recently, majority of the people from seven villages in Umsning supported the Government’s move.
“During the public hearing 109 people were in favour of constructing the four-lane road from the existing road while 102 people were against the decision,” Kylla stated.
It may be noted that a fact-finding team constituted by the State Government had stated in its report that majority of the people wanted the road to be constructed along the existing Umsning road.
“We request the Government to speed up the land acquisition process and start the construction of the four-lane from the existing road,” the land owners and the Town Committee members said.
Kylla also stated that there is majority support to the Government’s plans since the two junctions
(Umsning-Mawrong and Umsning-Mawhati) would serve as alternative routes for the commuters plying towards Assam.
“With the introduction of the four-lane from the existing road it would serve as a permanent route towards Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the near future thereby solving traffic congestion problem,” Kylla added.
Despite all the hue and cry being made over the national project, the State Government is yet to take its decision whether the road should be constructed from the existing Umsning road or from the Umsning Bypass.
Meanwhile, the JAC has already threatened to move the court if the State Government goes ahead with the construction of the four-lane road from the existing Umsning stretch.