    Umiam-Jorabat four laning project
By Our Reporter
 SHILLONG: The residents of the existing Umsning road has asked the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi district not to proceed with the land acquisition proceedings in the Umsning Bypass for the Umiam-Jorabat four laning project.
In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Akashdeep here on Friday, the residents and some NGOs said that the DC should not proceed with land acquisition proceedings until the PIL is disposed.
The residents and some NGOs have already filed their Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for stay of the operation of the acquisition proceedings last month.
According to residents, the State Government’s decision to construct the road from Umsning Bypass would include huge track of fertile agriculture land.
It may be mentioned that the State Government earlier had decided to construct the four laning road from the existing Umsning road but later decided to construct it from Umsning Bypass following the agitation of the NGOs who wanted the road to be constructed from the Umsning Bypass.
The Deputy Commissioner earlier informed that he land acquisition for Umsning Bypass is under process and the District administration will issue the notice very soon. The Deputy Commissioner had also asserted that majority of the people in the area are willing to part with their land for the important project which would benefit the common people of the State.
The project is already running behind schedule but the controversy over the project is not yet over even as hundreds of commuters are facing the brunt of traffic jam every day along the Guwahati-Shillong road.
On many occasions people get stuck in jam for hours and the project is expected to provide the much needed relief but like all the projects, this people friendly project too has been marred by controversies
The distance of the road from the Umsning Bypass is about 5.21kms (from Lad Mawrong at Jingkieng Umtrew) whereas the distance between the two points on the existing road is only about 4.17 km.
