By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Urban Affairs department has decided to construct the housing units under the JNNURM for the urban poor of both Pynthorumkhrah and Demseiniong at the proposed Revenue land near Shillong College.
“We have been forced to construct both the housing units at the same site due to the difficulty in getting land elsewhere. Actually, we had identified a plot of land for the housing project at Pynthorumkhrah but had to abandon the land since it was too costly,” Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters recently.
She said that the Government would be constructing a total number of 168 housing units at the proposed revenue land near Shillong College.
The ISDP project was sanctioned by the Central Government for an amount of Rs 21.30 crore for notified slums in Shillong – Mawbah, Lower Mawprem, Pynthorumkhrah, Demseiñiong and Kynjat Phutbal.
The scheme is being implemented by the Hindustan Prefab Limited (HPL).
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma had, in November last, laid the foundation of the housing project at Lower Mawprem consisting of 48 dwelling units in an area of 9900 square feet with necessary infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs 1.77 crore.
When asked about the housing units in Nongmynsong, the Urban Affairs Minister said that the State Government has forwarded the list of 64 beneficiaries to be accommodated in the housing complex located at Nongmynsong to the Central Government for approval.
Lyngdoh said the housing complex, consisting of 600 units in 35 blocks, has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 30.44 crore.
The delayed housing project, which was initiated way back in September 2008, was taken up by the State Government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)
Meanwhile, Ampareen informed that the issue of ten per cent deduction from the JNNURM fund is still hanging fire with the Central Government.
It may be recalled that the Centre had imposed a cut of 10 per cent in JNNURM funds after the State failed to comply with the reform guidelines under urban governance laid down by the Centre.
The Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme Phase III, funded under JNNURM, has been badly affected due to this ten per cent cut, Ampareen informed, adding that out of the total Rs 193.74 crore sanctioned for the project, around Rs 20 crore has been deducted.
“After losing such a huge amount it is impossible to implement the project as per the plan,” she added.