Council gets six days to give permission to Nongstoin-Mawthabah road project
NONGSTOIN: The Join Action Committee (JAC) led by the Hynniewtrep Achik National Council (HANC), Wahkaji- Mawthabah Land Owners’ Association and the Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong of Rangblang, Umdohlun Wahkaji and Pynden Umjarain have served a six day ultimatum on the P.N. Syiem led Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to BSC C&C JV Company to allow the firm to start the construction of the two lane Nongstoin-Mawthabah road.
The proposed road will connect Rangblang, Nongstoin, Wahkaji and Mawthabah, a total length of 61.51 km, and is estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 485.28 crore.
Representatives of different villages assisted by the component groups of the JAC asked the dsitrict council to hand over the NOC to the company on or before July 15, 2016, stating that the proposed road had no link with Uranium mining.
Slamming KHADC chief P.N. Syiem for delaying the NOC for the road project, the JAC warned of sitting on a hunger strike on the KHADC campus if the NOC is not issued within the stipulated date.
The JAC said people of Mawthabah area and the whole of South West Khasi Hills did not want to lose such an important centrally sanctioned project as the road would prove to be a blessing for the people of the area.
The JAC also urged the pressure groups opposing the road project to reconsider their ideologies and to work together for the developments of the area.
The JAC also expressed resentment over the opposition by certain groups to the proposed road project and said that the people do not wish to see the project being diverted to other districts or states just because of the opposition of a handful of individuals or groups.