Rs 17 crore released for improvement of a road in East Jaintia Hills
From Our Correspondent
KHLIEHRIAT: The deplorable condition of the road linking Jalyiah, Narwan with Jalaphet and several other villages in East Jaintia Hills district has made life miserable for the residents of the area who are now forced to use a far longer route to travel to Jowai and Shillong.
The 17 km road which deviates from the National Highway-44 (NH-44) is one of the most important routes in the area.
It may be mentioned that the Public Works Department (PWD) had received Rs 17 crore from the North Eastern Council (NEC) for widening and strengthening of the road a few years ago. The work for the construction of the road was allotted to a Delhi-based construction company Phoenix Dec and the final work order for the same was released on September 2011.
However, the company started the work only in April this year and after earth cutting work in some stretches of the road the construction was stopped for reasons best known to the company.
Now traveling through this road has become a nighmare for the people of the adjoining areas.
“Earlier, even with the deplorable condition of the road, vehicles could still somehow ply on it. However, due to earth cutting, the condition (of the road) has turned from bad to worse”, Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF-Eastern Region) president, Lamsuk Langstang said.
The HNYF also expressed concern over the delay in the construction work. While questioning the decision to allot the construction work to a Delhi-based company the HNYF president said, “It seems that the PWD does not trust our local contractors who have the financial capacity to carry out projects like these within the stipulated period of time.”
The construction of the road would benefit people from around 20 villages under Sumer Patorship.
Meanwhile, the HNYF-ER also urged the PWD to look in to the matter seriously so that the construction could be completed at the earliest for the benefit of the people residing in the area.