‘Go to police if unhappy with Shillong-Dawki road work’

SHILLONG, April 22: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong on Saturday said if people have any issues with the Shillong-Dawki road project, they can file a police complaint.
The project, which is mired in several controversies, was in the news recently after two persons were killed and nine others injured in a landslide.
Stating that the National Highways Infrastructure Development Limited (NHIDCL) has been entrusted to complete the project, Tynsong said the government has done everything possible, including acquiring land and handing it over to the agency.
He asked the NHIDCL to enforce some regulations on the companies executing the project. Referring to the incident of landslide, he said the government has left the matter to the police for an investigation after an FIR was filed.
On the delay in the project’s completion, he said necessary instructions have been given to the NHIDCL. The government on Friday held a review meeting with top officials of the NHIDCL.
According to Tynsong, the NHIDCL is facing a challenge as the companies from outside, engaged in the work, quoted far below the estimated amount while participating in the tender process.
“They have quoted 31-32 per cent less than the estimated amount which is illogical,” Tynsong said and cited it as the reason why the project is hanging fire.
The ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd had won the bid to implement Package-II of the project at Rs 210 crore. This package entails improvement or widening of the road to two lanes with paved shoulders on a 26-km stretch, which includes the landslide-hit portion till Pynursla.
Earlier, the Congress had come down heavily on the state government for allegedly trying to “protect the culprits” of illegal stone excavation without proper regulation and demanded the immediate transfer of the officers concerned and compensation from the NHIDCL and the government to the families of the two landslide victims.