SHILLONG: The deadline for the Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura road project has been extended to March 2015 following the revised estimates.
The construction work for the project started in February 2011 and the initial deadline for the State Government to commission the project was March 2014 but the project is far from its completion.
An official from the PWD informed on Monday that work is going on in a smooth pace but the major problem is cropping up between Sohpian and Nongstoin where the work has not started.
Officials also stated that the work could not be taken up in many stretches due to land acquisition problems and even now the District Administration of East Khasi Hills has not been able to hand over the required land to the implementing agency.
It may be mentioned that land acquisition problems are also cropping up in some parts of West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills.
Reacting to a query, an official informed that the physical progress of the project has touched around 60-65 percent even as officials asserted that the department is trying its best to complete the project within the revised deadline but completion of the project depends on the availability of the land which is a big problem.
The work along the 264.30 kilometer Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura NH 44 (E) is going on at an estimated cost of Rs 1494 crore and the project, once completed, would provide major relief to the people who have to travel through Assam to reach Garo Hills.
The project is being implemented by Hyderabad-based firm M/S BSC-C &C (JV).