Public money for ropeway in Mawkohphet ‘wasted’

MAWKYRWAT, April 4: Money infused by the government to construct a ropeway along with wing wall and godown facility at Mawkohphet village, 15 kilometres from Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills, has allegedly gone down the drain.
The ropeway, built under the State Plan of 2013-14 through the Border Areas Development department that connects Mawkohphet to Dewlieh village, is claimed to have been not come to use of the people.
Vice president of the Hills Farmer Union (HFU) Mawkohphet Unit, Ishwa Nongbsaw, said that the people of Mawkohphet village were initially very happy about the project during its inception.
The villagers expected that the ropeway would ease their problems of carrying the agri products which they had to carry and walk for 2-3 hours, she said, adding that soon after completion, the ropeway was damaged for unknown reasons.
“…maybe no one was taking care of the ropeway. No farmer from our village benefited from the project. If this ropeway was functioning, it would have helped us reduce the carrying hours up to 2 hours for all the products especially broom,” Nongbsaw said.
HFU president, Commander Shangpliang, on the other hand, said it is unfortunate to find such projects not functioning where investment of lakhs of rupees is made by the government for the public.
Shangpliang said that the Union would soon meet the Border Areas Development Officer to request him to make look into the non-functional ropeway.
“If needed, we will also meet the director because we don’t want the public money worth Rs 26 lakh to be wasted. And if there is none who can manage the ropeway, the HFU Unit here is ready to take up the task,” he added.