GUWAHATI: The unchanged stance of the Khasi Students’ Union against resumption of work on the Meghalaya portion of the Tetelia-Byrnihat new line project not only throws a spanner in NF Railway’s plan to complete the rail track on time but also brings to the fore uncertainty over the funds allotted during 2018-19.
“We have learnt that the KSU have met the Ri Bhoi deputy commissioner on Thursday to reiterate their stance against resumption of work. This again brings in elements of uncertainty over timely completion as well as utilisation of funds, a major portion of which have to be returned to the central government if the project work does not resume in the near future,” an official source told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
Till date, project has made an overall physical progress of 52.47 per cent with an expenditure of Rs 474.36crore made till March 31, 2018. Of an allocation of Rs 150crore for the financial year, 2018-19, Rs 45.14crore has been incurred till May 31, 2018.
“However, even if we anticipate a total of Rs 80crore by the end of the current financial year, the remaining amount for the Meghalaya portion would go unutilised and have to be returned,” he said.
As it is, there has been a delay after several starts and stops since the Rs 1400crore project was sanctioned in 2009-10, with work stalled since May last year in the wake of protests by the students’ union turning violent at the construction site in Byrnihat.
A temporary security barrack has now been constructed at the site with Meghalaya police eight security personnel there.
The Tetelia-Byrnihat project will have two stations (Kamalajari and Byrnihat), six tunnels with a length of 3.432km, seven major bridge and 48 minor bridges.
A length of 19.25km of track is in Assam while 2.25km is in Meghalaya.
The NFR authorities till a few days back were optimistic on a green signal for early resumption of work on the 2.25km Byrnihat section (of the 21.50km project) from the Ri Bhoi district administration.
The KSU during the meeting with the deputy commissioner on Thursday made it clear that it would continue to oppose the project till the state government put in place a strong mechanism to curb illegal encroachment and influx of migrants to the state.
“This (KSU opposition) is unfortunate as the Meghalaya government had approved the resumption of work at Byrnihat and assured security.
Besides, we were on course for completion of the project by March 2020 had work resumed immediately,” he said. On the status of the project at Byrnihat, the official said about 85 per cent work was yet to be completed. “This includes two tunnels and a viaduct alongside a playground at Byrnihat.
The presence of hard rock requires blasting and other allied work and therefore we presume that it would take about two years once work resumes,” he said.