Road projects worth Rs 3,800 crore face inordinate delay

SHILLONG, April 9: The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) which is implementing 12 road projects worth Rs 3,800 crore is racing against time to complete the projects which have already missed their initial deadlines.
Most of the 12 road projects have been divided into packages to speed up the construction work but the physical progress of the projects leaves much to be desired.
The only projects which have made considerable progress are the two-lane Ranikor-Nonghyllam- Maheshkhola- Baghmara road, which is 80% complete, while the other is the improvement/widening to two lanes with earthen shoulder of Ranikor- Maheshkhola- Baghmara road section from Rongara to Panda which is 70% complete.
The Nongjri-Maheshkhola stretch of Ranikor- Maheshkhola- Baghmara road has made only 6% progress while the Panda- Baghmara road which is part of the same Ranikor- Maheshkhola- Baghmara road project is only 15% complete.
The rehabilitation and up gradation of Nongstoin- Rambrai- Kyrshai road up to the Meghalaya-Assam border to two lanes is 40% complete. Contractors have completed only 53% of the two-lane Tura- Dalu Road.
Even the strategic Shillong-Dawki road project is facing a delay with Package 1 and Package 5 of the project yet to be re-tendered after the previous contractors abandoned the project. Packages 2 and 4 of the same project have achieved 38% and 30% physical progress.