NONGSTOIN: The Chief Minister’s maiden visit to Nongstoin on Tuesday was marked by submission of two memorandums from various NGOs of the district.
While the FKJGP submitted one memorandum, five NGOs including the West Khasi Hills Students’ Union (Nongstoin Circle), Hynniewtrep People Social Organization, Western People Movement (Nongstoin Circle), Western Youth Federation (Nongstoin Circle) and Western Youth Welfare Council submitted a joint memorandum to the Chief Minister.
The five NGOs, in their memorandum to the Chief Minister, mentioned the pathetic condition of the road from Sohpain to Nongstoin (distance of 7.880 km) and Nongstoin to Urkali (6.50 km). They mentioned that it was an embarrassment for the people of Nongstoin as it was the district headquarters and played hosts to numerous guests on a daily basis.
The memorandum further mentioned that in 2013, they had met the Chief Engineer of National Highway, Shillong, and were assured that the road would be reconstructed before the KJP Synod Sepngi in Nongstoin earlier this year. They complained that only loose soil was used to fill up the patches and only temporary work was carried out on the road. They also stated that the bad condition of the road affected the health of the people of Nongstoin as during the summer season they had to negotiate their way through the dangerous terrain on muddy and slippery roads and during the winters were victims of clouds of dust on the road.
They requested the Chief Minister to take necessary steps in this regard at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the FKJGP in their 13-point memorandum, requested the Chief Minister to look into various infrastructural issues in West Khasi Hills District.
The demands included good roads in the district especially the Sohpian-Nongstoin-Mawiaban stretch, creation of a blood bank at the Nongstoin Civil Hospital, creation of a Civil Sub- Division at Mawshynrut, establishment of a government college in the district, making the District Office of Agriculture Research and Laboratory functional, to include more trades in the Industrial Training Institute, to provide coverage of West Khasi Hills via the Shillong Doordarshan Kendra, to set up a branch office of the DMR in West Khasi Hills, to upgrade the Office of the Asst. Engineer of Urban Development, to promote tourism in the district, to set up police outposts at Kyrshai and Langpih etc.
