From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: The Centre on Friday urged the Meghalaya Government to blacklist those contractors who are not completing the basic infrastructure work like roads and bridges in the Hill State since common tribal people are facing much difficulties in the absence of such minimum facilities.
This was intimated to John F Kharshiing, Chairman of the Grand Council of Chiefs, who met Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Affairs, Shambhu Singh here.
“On learning about the incomplete Shella bridge which has already incurred an expenditure of Rs 4 crore, the Joint Secretary was surprised over the inaction of the departments in ‘blacklisting’ the contractors,” he said.
Such contractors and their associates should be debarred from further contracts, Singh reportedly told the Council Chief.
Later, talking to newspersons, Kharshiing said that there is an urgent need to complete the major and critical bridges located at River Prang (Sangkhat, Jaliakhola, Hurio), River Umngot (existing Pamshutia-Dawki Road), River Umngot at Dawki, River Piyan at Pyrdiwah, River Khasmar (Hat Thymmai), River Tharia, River Khasimara (Hat Mawdon).
“There is an urgent need to complete the bridge at Shella to enable the people to move along the Meghalaya border. The people of the area face serious challenges due to the hostile terrain added with deep gorges and wide spanned rivers,” Kharshiing said.
He also urged the MHA to consider providing proper infrastructure at strategic locations such as Hat Majai under Sohra Syiemship where 500 to 700 trucks ply every day exporting mineral resources under very difficult road or infrastructural conditions. There are no proper warehouses or cold storage facilities for the traditional tribal border haats, he said.
The Joint Secretary informed that the MHA is in favour of opening a few more border haats and is discussing the matter with the concerned Commerce Ministry and MEA.
Kharshiing informed that as of now only two border haats have been officially opened, but there were more than 38 to 40 border haats located within the Indian border and which when opened would uplift the economic condition of the people on both sides of the border.