SHILLONG: Nongthymmai UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh said that the State Government needs to review on its policy of having Urban Planning within the ten square kilometer of the municipal areas.
“Urban planning should take place throughout the Shillong Urban conglomeration. Otherwise, it is a futile exercise to have urban planning only within the municipal areas,” Mawthoh said while participating in the discussion on the budget in the Assembly.
He said that the Government has also failed to develop the New Shillong Township as expected.
While they were great hopes among the people that the NST would help to ease congestion of the city, Mawthoh said that the Government now is mark with controversy over the acquisition of land in the NST.
“I feel the Government needs to take corrective measures to see that NST comes up in the manner it should up,” Nongthymmai legislator said.
He also suggested for constitution of the separate authority which would monitor and plan on the growth and development of the NST.
“We would not like to see that the NST face a similar fate like the Shillong City,” Mawthoh said.
Meanwhile, the Nongthymmai legislator said that the traffic congestion will reach its saturation point in the next three to five years.
“The Government seems to have no answer to the problem of traffic congestion,” Mawthoh said.
He said that the only solution to this problem is for the State Government to get back defense land.
“As far my information, the defense authorities had identified seven areas to be given back to the State Government. But I do not know about the exact location of the areas which had been identified,” Nongthymmai legislator said.