Delay in Wahkaji-Mawthabah road project completion
SHILLONG: Amid the reports of undue delay in the construction of Wahkaji-Mawthabah road in West Khasi Hills since 2006, the UCIL on Monday said that it was upto KHADC to monitor the work.
The general secretary of Kylleng-Pyndeng Sohiong Uranium Land Owners’ Association, Heasdiengland Lyngdoh Sangriang recently told reporters that the project sanctioned during the tenure of HS Shylla as CEM in 2006 is yet to be fully completed.
Sangriang also alleged that the undue delay may be due to scam since the contractors had not completed the works on time.
He also said that out of the road length of 20 km, only 4 km of the road was blacktopped so far after the black topping works were allotted to a few contractors including those from Shillong.
Earlier, only the works related to earth cutting were given to the villagers located at the uranium mining sites in and around Wahkaji-Mawthabah
However, S. Kharlyngdoh, Geologist , UCIL on Monday said that it was last year the work of back topping started and 6.5 km was completed out of the total 20 km road.
He said since the work is being executed by KHADC, the matter should be taken up with the Council.
In the first installment, the UCIL had released Rs 20 crore and around Rs 20 more is projected for the completion of the work.
While admitting that the work is on slow pace, the UCIL official said that the work is expected to be completed by December or March next.
During the KHADC session on June 30, the Executive Member in-charge Mines and Minerals Donkupar Sumer had said that the Wahkaji-Mawthabah road funded by the UCIL was expected to be completed within December this year.
Sumer said that the EC has constituted a committee to inspect the road project.
While a total amount of Rs 38.83 crore has been sanctioned for the road project, Rs 31.29 crore was paid to the contractors, he said
According to Sumer, the remaining amount will be paid after the contractors complete the road project.