Delay over Iawmusiang Project
From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The FKJGP Jaintia Hills has decided to agitate in Jaintia Hills district to pressurize the State Government to implement the much-awaited project for giving a face-lift to the Iawmusiang Market in Jowai.
FKJGP district president, Tuesday Lytep, informed that both the government and the JHADC have failed to implement the Centrally-sponsored market project in Jowai.
“The dates for the agitational programmes will be announced in two or three days,” Lytep said.
Iawmusiang market — the biggest and most important market place in Jaintia Hills — has been dismantled after the main market was shifted to a temporary location in January last year.
The Ministry for Development of North East Region (DoNER) had approved the project with a sanction of Rs 18.09 crore in 2001-02.
It’s been over a decade now but the project has not yet taken off despite an amount of Rs 6.33 crore being released to the JHADC to initiate the project.
The construction and re-development of the main market has been handed over to the State Public Works Department (PWD), but the department has blamed the JHADC for the delay in implementation of the project.
The PWD has stated that the project is in its final stage but the department has not been able to start the project pending approval of the revised estimate by the JHADC.
It may be added that the old estimate prepared in 2002 had projected the cost at Rs 20. 64 crore including 10 percent share from the JHADC. But the project cost for construction of the five-storey building including the ground floor is now being estimated at Rs 44 crore.
“Once the JHADC approves the newly revised estimate we will immediately start the construction work,” the PWD said, adding that the department would start the construction work even if the JHADC does not have enough money to bear its share of the total expenditure.