Govt reviews progress of Shillong-Dawki road project

SHILLONG, Jan 29: The state government today held a meeting to review the Shillong-Dawki road project which is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“We had a review meeting with the PWD, Revenue & Forest departments and the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner on the JICA-funded Shillong-Dawki road project. I am happy to inform that the land compensation is being cleared and it, hopefully, will be completed within a few weeks’ time,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Friday.
“I have already asked our deputy commissioner to put extra effort to release the award to the landowners at the earliest,” he said.
Informing that there are few stretches where claims and counter claims of ownership have been made, Tynsong said, “I have asked the DC to work it out and come to a solution at the earliest”.
The 71-km-long NH-40 will be converted into a four-lane highway from Umshyrpi bridge in Shillong to Bañiun at 7th Mile, Upper Shillong, and two lanes thereafter till Dawki at an estimated cost of Rs 1,251-crore road project.
The Defence authorities have also green-lighted the construction work.
The project includes construction of a new bridge over the Umngot river at Dawki.