SHILLONG: Meghalaya Government is looking to revive Rongai Valley Medium irrigation project in Chibinang which was has remained embroiled in controversy for over a decade.
A meeting was held here in the Secretariat on the matter which was attended by PWD Minister, in charge, Prestone Tynsong, Water Resources Minister, Metbah Lyngdoh, Phulbari MLA, SG Esmatur Mominin and other officials of both the department.
The project was sanctioned in the year 1990 by the Planning Commission, New Delhi at a cost of Rs 1630.00 laths.
While the barrage of the project was completed, the project landed into several controversies over the payment of contractors and issues of payment for the land acquisition.
Mominin on Thursday said that he recently took up the matter with the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister in charge PWD was directed to convene a meeting on the matter and look for ways to re-start the project.
During the meeting, it was decided that PWD Minister Prestone Tynsong along with other officials and the local MLA would visit the site for inspection next month to see the possibilities of re-starting the project.
According to Mominin, the project would now require around Rs 2000 crores and the Union Water Resources had earlier committed to take up the project when the matter was raised with the Centre by the former Chief Minister, Prune Sangma and the former Minister, Munirul Islam Sarkar.
“ If this project comes through, it will be of great benefit for irrigation not only in the constituency but for the entire state,” Mominin said while adding that the project would also save the area from the onslaught of floods.
