Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin road project status
SHILLONG: Members of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) and KSU separately met PWD (Roads) Minister Martin Danggo on Tuesday apprising him of the pending Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin road project in which the KHADC had assured Rs 20 crore for constructing a single lane road to bridge the connectivity gap in rural areas.
“They (the HYC and KSU delegations) spoke about repairing of the Wahkaji road that was to be allotted by the KHADC. The NGOs requested for a negotiation with the KHADC on the implementation of the Rs 20-crore project. I will discuss this with the department,” Danggo told reporters after the meeting.
The minister added that the PWD will not hand over the road but the KHADC can deposit the money so that the department can take up the repair work. Danggo added that the PWD has refused to give any NOC to the KHADC because the road belongs to it. Expressing keenness to take up the road project, he said, “The proposal to widen and repair the road was put on hold after talks of two-laning of the road under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP) scheme. Many people are apprehensive that the road may lead to mining of uranium.”
He added that once the SARDP scheme is withdrawn the department can start its work.
Asserting that Rs 20 crore is not enough, he said, “The larger issue is how to make the road better.”
Meanwhile, taking note of the “tug of war between the State Government and the KHADC”, the pressure groups, KSU and HYC, urged the government and the district council to come to an understanding to ensure that the repair work is taken up at the earliest.
Referring to the KHADC’s assurance of allocating Rs 20 crore from the Special Assistance Scheme of Rs 133 crore, KSU’s South West Khasi Hills president Forwardman Nongrem said, “We have nothing to say on the KHADC’s decision but we are of the opinion that both the state government and the district council are responsible to ensure the road is repaired soon.”
It may be mentioned that KHADC CEM PN Syiem during a meeting with the pro and anti-road groups, had said that the repair work will start from Nongstoin (10 km) under Nongstoin division and the remaining 33 km is under Mawkyrwat and other divisions in which out of the Rs 20 crore, Rs 15 crore will be sanctioned for road repair and Rs 5 crore for new approach road to villages which will be identified.