SHILLONG, June 24: The High Court of Meghalaya has took it upon itself to monitor the progress of the construction of Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura (AMPT) road, which has time and again come to the limelight owing to bad stretches and for want of repair work.
During the course of proceedings on Friday, the state apprised the Court of measures taken to undertake temporary repair work of the bad stretches, applying for sanction of adequate funds, engaging contractors to undertake works in some portions and issuing notices inviting tenders for the others.
Some documents were filed in the Court on behalf of the state to indicate that the temporary measures have already been taken and though the road may not be complete in any sense, but every attempt has been made to make it somewhat motorable.
Some of the documents pertain to work orders being issued for some stretches and notices inviting tenders being floated.
According to the High Court, the recent heavy pre-monsoon and early monsoon rains must have destroyed the unmetalled surface to the extent that it may have been repaired earlier.
“It is hoped that the measures now taken by the state are implemented as expeditiously as possible to provide basic access to persons living in the region and those needing to use the road on a regular basis,” the Court said.
According to High Court, the petitioner AH Hazarika will report along with the state on the extent of work undertaken and the Court will monitor the progress of the road construction, particularly since several of the sub-divisional towns in the Garo Hills districts are not connected by metalled roads even to the district headquarters.
The Court stated that a concerted attempt has to be made to provide basic access, particularly in the hilly terrain as the local residents have no other alternative.
The petitioner reported that the stretch of the AMPT road between Rajabala and Hallidayganj is completely unusable.
“Immediate attention should be paid to undertake temporary filling of the potholes along such stretches so that basic access, even at slow speed, is provided till the construction of the road is completed,” the Court observed.
