By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Miffed by the litigation that stalled the construction of the new market complex at Polo, the State Government has decided to shift the proposed market to the New Shillong Township (NST).
The owner of Hotel Polo Towers, Raj Kumar Sharma along with 24 other businessmen had filed a litigation which stalled the construction of the new market complex at Polo since the past few years.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Saturday, Urban Affairs Principal Secretary P Naik said, “We have decided to shift the complex to New Shillong Township as the Central Government has asked us to surrender the money (since the construction had not begun for long).”
According to Naik, the State Government will ask the Centre to reconsider its decision since the project has now been shifted to NST.
In order to modernise the marketplace and to make it more hygienic, the Central government, during the year 2011-12, had sanctioned an amount of Rs 21 crore for the demolition of the existing marketplace and the construction of a new one.
However, things could not materialise due to the litigation filed by the businessmen.
It is learnt that the project would take 18 months to complete once the construction starts.
Reacting to a query on the land acquisition process for the shopping complex at
NST, the official said that the complex would be constructed in the existing land of the Government.
It is learnt that the State Government held discussions with the businessmen who have filed the litigation but could not arrive at a solution.
With North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) already situated in NST and IIM, Shillong permanent building coming up there, the proposed shopping complex is expected to meet the needs of residents of the NST.