Kurliya bridge construction work comes to a halt, again

JOWAI: Construction work of the much-awaited Kurliya bridge over the Myntang river at Tiehwieh in West Jaintia Hills has stopped once again, only this time the interference has not come from the Assam government.
Just weeks after construction work was stopped by Assam Police personnel and resumed only after much negotiation between the governments of Assam and Meghalaya, work has stopped once again as the concerned department has failed to pay the running bill of the construction work to the designated contractor.
Local people from the area have expressed unhappiness at the unfortunate turn of events and have demand that the Meghalaya government should immediately solve the payment issue for the welfare of the people residing in Khatkasla, Psiar and others villages in Block I area.
Construction of the Kurliya bridge was initiated in 2005 and was allotted to RB Associate Construction Company by the State PWD.
However, the company failed to complete the construction work by 2015 as agreed upon following which the State government cancelled the contract and allotted the project to contractor Pyrkhat Hinge.
The bridge is meant to connect Khatkasla, Psiar and other villages falling under the disputed Block I area bordering West Karbi Anglong and West Jaintia Hills districts.
The project is centrally sponsored under the Inter-State Connectivity Schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 428.65 lakh sanctioned in 2003-04 to include an 800 metre long approach road on either end of the bridge.