By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The penultimate day of the budget session saw the prevailing traffic chaos surface repeatedly during question hour and other deliberations.
Members from all sides tried to sensitise the government on taking some bold long-term measures.
During question hour on Thursday, the delay of the fly-over project from Rap’s Mansion to Sweeper Lane, Mawlonghat figured promimently.
While replying to a question raised by NCP legislator ECB Bamon on the status of the flyover project, PWD Minister HDR Lyngdoh informed that the project was yet to see the light of the day due to unavailability of Defence land.
“We would not be able to carry forward the project unless we can identify an alternate land for handing over to the Defence authorities in exchange for the Cantonment land on which the proposed fly over would be constructed,” Lyngdoh said.
He also informed that the State Government had set up a Joint Inspection Committee which has been assigned with the task of locating suitable land either in East Khasi Hills or Ri Bhoi to be handed over to the Defence authorities.
Replying to a question raised by UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh on whether the Government is aware that commercial establishments are being set up in the areas under Cantonment Board where the construction of the fly over project is being proposed, the PWD Minister stated that the Government has no information about the same.
To another query from Independent legislator Manas Chaudhuri, the PWD Minister replied that at present there is no proposal from the Government to decongest the Shillong Civil Hospital area.
However, in reply to any question by Chaudhuri, the PWD Minister informed that the Government is taking various steps to ease the overall congestion in the city.
“The widening of the Nongmynsong road and the road from Saw Lad towards Law-U-Sib and Lapalang are in progress. We are also constructing a road from behind the City Hut Dhaba towards Polo,” the PWD Minister informed.
Meanwhile, Chaudhuri suggested on the need to improve the personality of the traffic personnel since they are the visible face of the Police department.
“We need to improve the smartness of our traffic personnel. We should realize that it is the traffic police who are the face of the State police. No one would know the police personnel who sit in the office. But everyone knows the traffic personnel,” Chaudhuri said while participating in the cut motion by NCP legislator John Manner Marak in the Assembly on Thursday.
He said that the Home department would have to take several steps to improve the personality and smartness of the traffic police.
The independent legislator was also of the view that the Government needs a relook on the working hours of the traffic personnel.
“It is humanly impossible for the traffic police personnel to perform their duty to the best of their capability if they have to work eight hours a day. We are all aware that the traffic police are working under tough conditions especially in those places with huge traffic flow,” Chaudhuri said.
Earlier, Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh had informed that the traffic personnel are required to perform eight hours of duties in two shifts on a daily basis.
Replying to the question raised by NCP legislator ECB Bamon, he said that at present there are 319 traffic personnel manning traffic across the State.
To a supplementary question of Bamon, Lyngdoh informed that traffic personnel would be deployed in other district headquarters and sub-divisions after the recruitment process.
“The Government has recently sanctioned additional 483 posts for strengthening the traffic branches in four districts (East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi and West Garo Hills). This is expected to substantially ease the chronic shortage of manpower that these districts have been facing. The recruitment and training of these personnel will take some time,” Lyngdoh added.
Jowai new township
Opposition Leader Conrad K Sangma, while raising the issue of the Jowai township project, asked whether the Government is intending to prepare a master plan for development of a new Jowai township.
In reply, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that so far the Government has no such plan.
Manas Chaudhuri (IND) lamented that building s are coming up in Jowai in an unplanned manner.
He also wondered whether the Urban Affairs department had any control on the construction of the building in the area.
Chaudhuri also expressed concern over traffic regulation in Jowai, saying that everything seems to be in shambles in Jaintia Hills.