From Our Correspondent
SHILLONG: The KSU Mawshynrut Circle and the GSU have lifted up the 500-hour road blockade from Riangdo in West Khasi Hills to Athiabari in Goalpara, Assam with a two-month deadline issued to the state government to repair the Riangdo-Athiabari road.
The two students’ body have jointly called for a 500-hour road blockade since May 2 to protest against the government’s failure to repair the Riangdo-Athiabari road despite a deadline issued by them earlier.
“We have decided to lift the road blockade with a demand to the state government to release the funds allotted to repair the Riangdo-Athiabari road and immediately call for tenders”, KSU Mawshynrut Circle president S Rongrin told this scribe on Wednesday.
Following a meeting with the PWD minister HDR Lyngdoh in the city on Tuesday, the West Khasi Hills based NGOs stated that the road blockade was lifted at a gathering held at Umsohpieng on Wednesday.
According to the PWD Minister, the funds sanctioned by the planning department for the repair of the road amounts to Rs 18.673 crore, Rongrin said.
“However, he (HDR Lyngdoh) said that the full amount has not yet been released by the finance department”, Rongrin said adding that the state government will have to meet the demands within two months time. The organisations alleged that the government collects huge revenue from trucks that ply along this route and yet nothing has been done so far to repair the road despite repeated requests.