NONGSTOIN, Sep 15: The Nongstoin-Maweit Road is all set for renovation after a prolonged wait of 57 years. The state government has floated tender for the construction of the said 23-km-long road project which lies between Nongstoin and Lyngdoh village near Maweit.
This road was first carved out in 1964-65 and remains one of the oldest roads abandoned by various governments in the past.
A resident of Maweit area, G Nongbri, said that the road leading to Maweit has generated crores of revenue in the form of coal trade for the state government. But the previous dispensations have not done anything to improve the road connectivity in the area, he rued.
The Nongstoin-Maweit road had become infamous over the years for its pitiable condition.
The people of the area including the village headmen and NGOs have raised concerns and protested against the government for not taking action in the past to improve the road where a ‘historic’ rally was organised from Maweit to Nongstoin to condemn the government for not taking any responsibility to implement the road project.
Various NGOs of the area had even boycotted the MDC elections in 2014 to protest register protest over the same issue.
Hundreds of memorandums were sent to different PWD ministers but to no avail.
The road project is being implemented under Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP) funded by World Bank with a sanction of Rs 98.26 crore.
According to Mawshynrut MLA Gigur Myrthong, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will lay the foundation stone for the said road at Maweit on September 30. Due to financial constraints, he added, the funds will not cover all 35 km of the said road. The remaining 12 km will be sanctioned soon, he said.
Reiterating people’s struggles, the MLA said that the road’s condition had caused misery to the local populace. Various governments in the past earned thousands of crores as revenue related to coal trade from Maweit area yet there has been no development, he said.
The MLA has urged the people of Maweit and other adjoining areas to attend the base-laying ceremony on September 30, which, according to him, will be a historic day for the locals.J
