Local military authority should open roads: Board

SHILLONG: The elected Ward Commissioner of the Shillong Cantonment Board has reiterated that the local military authority in the city should open the two roads in the Board areas to civilians without further delay as resolved in the board meeting held on Thursday.
The roads closed are the stretches from Rhino Point to Police Bazar (Lady Keane School and College fall in the stretch) and that from Anjalee Cinema, which ends near Shani Mandir.
A statement issued by Ward Commissioner Vikash Gupta said they appreciate that the security of the defence installation was important but there were no defence installations along these roads except the family quarters of the defence personnel.
“The citizens of Shillong are peace lovers and this is not a terrorist affected state,” he said.
He said the roads which have been closed are under the management of the Shillong Cantonment Board and not under local military authority. According to Gupta, the matter regarding the road closure has already been considered by the Ministry of Defence. He further said it was decided that no public road outside unit lines in a cantonment shall be closed by any authority other than the Cantonment Board, for any reason other than the security, and without following the procedure laid down under Section 258 of the Cantonments Act, 2006.