Bad roads have been the hallmark of the MDA Government. Every second day there are groups in one district or other protesting against badly constructed or half constructed roads which have made travelling a painful experience. In the Garo Hills region, South Garo Hills district has borne the worst brunt; this district has been neglected for decades. For the financial year 2023-24 the amount allocated to roads and bridges is Rs 1,594 crores which is 7.1% of the total revenue expenditure of Rs 21,034 crore. Roads are the lifeline of the state, yet the national highway connecting Shillong to Dawki and Jowai-Amlarem- Dawki are in shambles. But these are not the only roads that have deteriorated and are a hazard for drivers, especially heavily-laden trucks. The Lumshnong to Silchar road via Sonapur resembles a war zone bombed to rubble. Even within the capital city of Shillong the roads are riddled with potholes and are causing frequent road accidents especially for two-wheeler drivers.
Meghalaya’s problem is that legislators are elected not based on their performance but on the bribes paid in the run-up to the elections. If people voted with their eyes open and as informed citizens the man holding charge of the Public Works Department (PWD) would have been roundly defeated, never mind which constituency he contests from. But what is evident is that voters of Meghalaya are sharply divided by constituency and they don’t care for the overall development of the state.
However, what is important is the role of the Public Works Department and the supervisory role that the Chief Engineer of that Department has to play to ensure that the roads constructed meet the department’s specifications and that the standards are not lowered to enable contractors to rake in more profit which in turn has to be shared with the engineers and the PWD minister. This has been the biggest bane of governance in Meghalaya. In recent times things have gotten worse because the present Deputy Chief Minister is also a co-owner of a construction company and that Company is now holding a monopoly over road construction over large sections of the state especially in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. If a minister in the Government has a vested interest in promoting his own company then how can it be expected that good roads and bridges be built? Today roads in every part of the city of Shillong are in dire need of repair even though some of them were constructed/repaired only a year ago. Clearly the social audit body created during the time of the MUA Government has been given a quiet burial because it is not heard of. The Meghalaya High Court has been pulling up the Government from time to time but to no avail. The present MDA Government has learnt to take the people of Meghalaya for granted, knowing they can be bribed to vote the same set of legislators back in 2028. People indeed deserve the government they elect.
