TURA: Contractors from Chokpot under the aegis of the Chokpot Area Contractors’ Association (CACA) recently met Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in Shillong on various issues concerning them and also submitted a memorandum.
According to the contractors, bills amounting to crores of rupees are yet to be cleared for already completed Maintenance and Repair (M&R) works under Chokpot PWD (Roads) Sub-Division. Besides, not a single payment has been made for Flood Damage Repair (FDR) since the year 2014, they said. The contractors during their meeting urged the CM to facilitate the release of all pending dues at the earliest.
“We request that all our pending dues are paid before Christmas in the first week of December. Because if the payment stretches to the second week, most of the time we do not get it before the festivals,” the contractors said.
Pointing out that Chokpot PWD (Roads) and PHE (RWS) are still functioning as Sub-Divisional offices the association urged that they are upgraded to function as Divisional offices in view of Chokpot having already achieved Civil Sub-Division status in the year 2017.
The association also raised the issue of slow progress in works being undertaken by the Central Corporation Limited (CCL). It said that while most road construction works in Chokpot area have been allotted to the company, there was not much progress to be seen at the ground level till date.
The association also apprised the Chief Minister of two important bridges in the area which are yet to be usable due to delay in repair works or the lack of it. It said that the Daji bridge on the Tura-Chokpot route, whose construction began several years ago is yet to see its completion. Another bridge located on the Chokpot-Sibbari Road, the Adap Bridge which was damaged during the last rainy season is yet to be re-constructed.
“Due to non repair of these two bridges the people from the region are facing many problems. The Adap Bridge which is yet to be reconstructed is posing problems for people travelling to Baghmara in particular. Now they have to take a detour to Baromile and go via Dalu to Baghmara,” the association said.
Besides Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, a copy of the same memorandum was also submitted to Siju-Rongara MLA, Rakkam A Sangma.