Halting of Kurliya bridge construction
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Monday asserted that the State Government has taken strong exception to the interference of Assam police in stopping the construction work of Kurliya bridge over Myntang river in West Jaintia Hills.
Replying to a call attention motion on a news item published in The Shillong Times under the caption “Assam Police stops Kurilya Bridge construction work,” moved by HSPDP MLA KP Pangiang, the Chief Minister said that the Chief Secretary has written to his counterpart in Assam to pass necessary instruction to the concerned Deputy Commissioner to desist from taking any unilateral action so as to dispel any further misunderstanding.
“Further, the West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner had also ordered a Magisterial Inquiry into the incidents and based upon the report, the Superintendent of Police, West Jaintia Hills shall station adequate police force at the construction site with immediate effect to ensure completion of the bridge within the stipulated time and before the onset of the rainy season,” the Chief Minister said.
According to Sangma, the Executive Engineer PWD (Roads) North Division and the Assistant Engineer, PWD (Roads) Shangpung Sub-Division shall ensure their personal attendance during the construction period.
“The Executive Engineer, PWD (R) North Division shall requisition officers from the other divisions through the SE, PWD (R) Jowai Circle to ensure proper monitoring of the construction work which should not be interrupted. The officials deputed should liaise with the officer in charge Raliang police station on a daily basis,” Sangma added.
He said that SE, PWD (R) Jowai Circle shall ensure that officers not below the rank of Assistant Engineer be selected and deputed to supervise the work at site on a regular basis.
The construction of the Kurliya Bridge across the river Myntang, which is well within the territory or Meghalaya and falls under the jurisdiction of Laskein Community & Rural Development Block, West Jaintia Hills District, started way back in 2006. However, the contractor initially allotted with the contract abandoned the project for reasons not known to the District Administration and accordingly, the final work order was re-allotted to a new contractor in August 2015. The actual work started in November 2015.
The Chief Minister said that for the last three months, the work on the bridge was going on in full swing without any objection from the other side of the border but suddenly on February 2, 2016, the Assam Police from Jrikendeng police station, Hamren, West Karbi Anglong, visited the construction site and issued notice to the contractor to immediately stop the work.
Earlier, moving the call attention motion, HSPDP MLA KP Pangiang said that the stopping of construction work by Assam was a violation of the agreement arrived at by both the states that developmental work should continue in border areas.