‘Investment should be in totality’
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said on Sunday investing in road projects should be in totality and not in parts.
Calling for expeditious investments in the road sector, Sangma rejected the idea of investing in pieces. “When roads are upgraded, it should be done in totality as we have done in the case of Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura road,” he told media persons.
The Chief Minister has put developing national highways and road projects on the priority list so that the land-locked northeastern region can “catch up with the rest of the country”. About the new National Highway 127B – which will connect Srirampore in West Bengal with Nongstoin via Dhubri, Phulbari, Selsella and Williamnagar – the Chief Minister said the Government has finalised the alignment and is expediting land acquisition process that started three years ago.
The NH project will be funded by Japanese entity JICA. Sangma said he would soon speak to the chief executive members of the district councils for issuing no objection certificate for the NH project under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme.
“The funding for these projects is coming from international organisations and we have to maintain the timeline,” Sangma said.
The detailed project report for NH-62 will be complete by the end of February, he added.
The State Government will also talk to the Centre about the proposed road project to connect Meghalaya with Hilli in West Bengal via Bangladesh. The road, if complete, will provide better connectivity to the northeastern states which at present is connected to the mainland by the Chicken’s Neck.
Rijiju assurance
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju assured the State Government on repairing the dilapidated road leading to Dawki-Tamabil.
“I had flagged the issue (of poor road condition) since Meghalaya was co-hosting the South Asian Games and I had said let our friends from the neighbouring country see a better road but it did not happen,” Sangma said while talking about the delay in repairing the road.
