By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) Limited which is the concessionaire of the four-lane highway from Jorabat to Lad Umroi in Ri-Bhoi District has denied that Ramky Infrastructure has deserted the project.
The construction work of the four-lane project has come to a standstill prompting reports that Ramky Infrastructure had abandoned the project. However, an official of the ILFS on Saturday said that though there were some issues between the concessionaire and the executing agency, Ramky, the problems have been sorted out.
The official said that the work has come to a standstill due to the monsoon season and attempts are being made to work on days when it does not rain.
Meanwhile, briefing on the issue that cropped up between the concessionaire and Ramky, the official said that the ILFS was unhappy with the slow progress of the project which is scheduled to be completed by March 2014.
“We had questioned them (Ramky) on the slow progress and they have promised to expedite the work,” the official said while expressing confidence that the project would be completed before the deadline.
According to official, the concessionaire has all the plants, equipment and manpower to complete the project on time.
The delay in the completion of the project is causing inconvenience for the daily commuters on NH-40 as the existing road is in bad shape with potholes and mud pools across the
whole stretch of the Lad Umiam-Jorabat highway and people are hoping that the project is completed sooner than later.
Ramky Infrastructure was in the news for wrong reasons when indiscriminate blasting of boulders by the company workers resulted in the death of a youth at Shangbangla on March 7 this year.
However, Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner informed that the company paid a compensation of Rs 13 lakh to the victim’s family.
Ri Bhoi SP CVS Reddy informed that the police had investigated the matter and already filed its charge sheet against the company officials for the incident even as the company officials had managed an anticipatory bail from the court.
When contacted, NHAI official said that the authority is only concerned with the concessionaire.