VIP roads get better treatment, others neglected
SHILLONG: The miserable condition of roads in Shillong and the state at large has rightly reverberated in the recently concluded Budget session of the state Assembly.
Though legislators have pulled up the PWD (Roads) for the messy roads in the Assembly, it is right on their part to question this department which is otherwise seen maintaining those roads in VIP areas of the city round the year.
Questions are being raised as to who is ordering the PWD (Roads) despite its funds constraints to to beautify the VIP roads even if there is a slight depreciation.
The most bizarre thing, many say, in this state is the bitumen topping of VIP roads in European Ward area of the city. It has been seen that the Bishop Cotton Road, Bivar Road, Camel Back Road, McCabe Road, Rita Road and the road near the official bungalow of the Chief Justice of High Court of Meghalaya besides Swami Vivekananda Road and MG Road is topped almost every year since the ministers and their babus reside in official residences, quarters and these areas house the all important government establishments.
The Governor House, official residence of the Chief Justice of High Court of Meghalaya, Chief Secretary and a host of other ministers are located in these roads of the city. Those who have taken strong cognizance of this trend observed that they have seen even insignificant potholes being filled whereas roads elsewhere in the city which have become miserable and are left to their current conditions.
The ubiquitous sight of preparation of bitumen and asphalt in large crock pan over firewood behind Raj Bhavan to maintain these roads is an irony of its type, which only indicates that the state government is only bothered about those places in which the VIPs move often and show apathy to the remaining road infrastructures in the city and state at large.
One can see round the clock preparation of bitumen and asphalt in two places behind the Raj Bhavan–one near the North East India Christian Council building and the other, near the Talent’s Club off AIR also behind the sprawling Raj Bhavan campus.
Many are of the opinion that all roads in these areas are in much better condition than those in other parts of the city whereas the state government is neglecting them and is only keeping their own yards intact.
Roads in Greater Polo, Garikhana, Laban are some areas among numerous others which are in dire need of carpeting, but the only reason the state government is putting forward when it comes to repairing them is “paucity of funds” compared to the frequent repair of roads frequented by the VIPs and VVIPs.
In the session held in September last year, the PWD Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said that after the rains, repair works of the dilapidated roads will be carried out.
However, the same Minister said subsequently that depending on the availability of funds, the repair works will be carried out.
The Opposition in the just concluded Budget session of the Assembly had attributed the delay in the release of funds to the contractors as one of the reasons for the present state of affairs.