SHILLONG: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) will not issue no-objection certificate (NOC) for the Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Mawthabah-Ranikor road project considering division over the matter.
The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the KHADC, HS Shylla told reporters that the public representatives mooted for the road project for the overall development of the constituency while the organisations were sceptical of uranium mining in the area.
The KHADC held a meeting on Monday which was attended by two MDCs and two MLAs of Langrin, Nongstoin and Ranikor, organisations such as Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) of South West Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills, Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), Langrin Youth Welfare Association (LYWA).
The discussion at the meeting was on the demand of the government to issue NoC for the two lane road project – Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin and to Mawthabah. While the Wahkaji-Mawthabah road has been stopped, the road project would be from Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin-Ranikor, Shylla said.
Shylla said that the government had written to the KHADC to issue NOC for the road project.
“Some of the public representatives felt the need to develop the road in the area in the interest of the people. Whereas the organisations oppose the road project (Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Mawthabah-Ranikor) due to uncertainty over closure of uranium mining in the state,” he said.
Shylla said that the public representatives desired to see development in their respective constituencies but they did not press for the two lane road project due to the opposition from the organisations.
With opposition to the road project being raised, the executive committee of the KHADC could not issue NOC for the road project for the time being.
“We have suggested the two groups to meet together in Mawkyrwat, Rangblang or Umdohlun and resolve the matter. However, they did not accept and it is up to the two groups to sort out the matter,” Shylla said.
He said that the organisations reminded the KHADC on the repair and renovation of the road using Rs 25 crore as assured by former CEM, PN Syiem.
“On my part as the new CEM and the new EC, we have made it clear that we will not be able to do so as the decision of the former CEM was misleading since scheme from the Central government cannot be allotted specifically to one area/project,” he said.
He maintained that to allot Rs 25 crore to only the road project would land the MDCs in difficulty.
Shylla, asserted that the central government should maintain a clear stand on Uranium mining in the state.