SHILLONG, Aug 3: The FKJGP Upper Shillong Circle has voiced its opposition to the state government’s purported move to allocate a plot of land from the farm of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department in Upper Shillong to Anjalee Petrol Pump in exchange for the land that the government is acquiring at Anjalee Point, Shillong, to widen a road.
After meeting Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Alexander Laloo Hek on Thursday, FKJGP Upper Shillong Circle president, Kitboklang Nongphlang said they learnt the arrangement is being made to pave way for the widening of the road from Umshyrpi to the site where the petrol pump is located.
According to him, the land, belonging to Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department at Upper Shillong, is meant specifically for development of dairy and other farming activities for the long-term benefits of the state. As such, he said the proposed allotment of this land for the establishment of a private petrol pump will defeat that very purpose.
“We express our strong objection to this move. We have no objection if the petrol pump is shifted to any other location but it should not be within any government property,” Nongphlang categorically stated.
He urged the Minister to intervene and thwart the move.
“Any attempt by the state government to go ahead with such a plan would be strongly resisted by us and by the people of Upper Shillong as a whole,” he warned.
Sources said the government has not yet finalised the deal. They said there was an inspection to identify the land for the shifting of the petrol pump to the farm of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department in Upper Shillong.
The sources also said the government is keen to shift the petrol pump so the road could be widened. There is also a proposal for a flyover project by the NHIDCL, the sources added.
The petrol pump owner is said to have somewhat agreed to the government’s request in public interest. The sources said it remains to be seen if the government bows down to the demand of the pressure group.
The High Court of Meghalaya had in December last year requested the NHIDCL to ensure that a smaller number of trees is felled during the course of widening of the road from Anjalee point to Jhalupara and construction of the proposed flyover at Rilbong point as a part of the widening of the approximately 71 km Shillong-Dawki Road.
According to NHIDCL, there is a major bottleneck at Rilbong point where the road turns right towards Guwahati and carries on straight towards Upper Shillong when vehicles approach from Anjalee point. During Thursday’s hearing in the court, NHIDCL stated that after a lot of persuasion at the behest of the state government, precious defence land has been handed over for the purpose of widening of the road. It said access to such defence land necessitates the felling of 103 trees towards the right of the road while approaching from Anjalee point to Jhalupara.
While assuring the court that repeated studies and surveys have been conducted to ensure the least disruption and the minimum desecration of the environment, NHIDCL maintained that any impediment to the proposed construction on the Anjalee-Jhalupara section will lead to cost escalation and add to the woes of the already congested traffic in entering and exiting Shillong.
Agreeing with NHIDCL’s contention regarding traffic jam, a division bench of the court mentioned that in a previous PIL pertaining to the traffic congestion, it was noticed that Rilbong point is a major bottleneck as vehicles approach from three directions on a regular basis and the waiting period can run into several hours when traffic is at its worst.
“Indeed, on the Guwahati-Shillong Road downhill, traffic may be seen piled up beyond Mawlai and, sometimes way down till Mawiong,” the court said.
It asked NHIDCL to ensure there is no halt in the work on the Anjalee point to Jhalupara sector, particularly after the trees have been felled.
