SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday expressed concern over the delay in implementing projects in the State and questioned the KHADC for not facilitating development.
It may be mentioned that several pressure groups from South West Khasi Hills have been opposing the project citing that it is linked to uranium mining.
The Court was hearing a PIL by the Joint Action Committee seeking NOC from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) for upgrading the Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Domiasiat-Mawthabah road.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has sanctioned the road project under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North East and more than 90 percent of the land required has been obtained. However, it has got stuck owing to objections from the KHADC.
The PIL noted that the delay in a substantial project such as this is causing gross injustice to the inhabitants of Nongstoin-Mawthabah.
The petition prayed to the Court for a mandamus directing the KHADC to issue NOC without further delay.
On January 30, the Court had granted time to the respondents to file counter affidavits. However, no counter affidavit has been filed.
K. Paul, counsel for the respondents submitted that as per his instructions, the KHADC has convened a meeting of all stakeholders to resolve the issue.
However, it was not clear why the glitches could not be ironed out by the KHADC after the Court served it a notice and granted over two weeks’ time.
“It needs hardly any emphasis that the respondent-KHADC functions as per the mandate of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India as a District Council for the areas comprising Khasi Hills in the State and all the requirements of a welfare State are required to be attended by the respondent-KHADC for the progress and development of the areas, and thereby of the State,” the Court said.
At the request of the counsel for the respondents, the Court adjourned the matter on Tuesday with the faith that the respondents would ensure their functioning in conformity with the law and in view of the development of the State.
The Court also said Counter affidavits, if any, may be filed on or before the next date when the matter will be taken up for final hearing on February 21.
