By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 2: Road infrastructure in Meghalaya has always remained a point of discussion among the stakeholders and those at the helm of affairs — from deteriorating roads to pending road projects, the state has seen a fair share of controversies insofar as roads are concerned.
While the Shillong-Dawki road project continues to be stalled for years over varied reasons, the crucial Western Bypass is yet to see the land acquisition process reach fruition.
Sources said that only the notification has been issued for land acquisition, adding that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has made some observations and sought clarification from the state government, which is yet to respond to the NHIDCL.
“Once the clarification comes, the money will be given to the state government and then it will be distributed to (land) owners,” sources said.
It was also informed that since it is a green field alignment, the work would start only after the entire land is acquired for the road project.
The 2-Lane Shillong Western Bypass road will be constructed with paved shoulder starting from NH-6 near Ladumsaw to NH-106 (previously NH-44E).
The project has been divided into three packages and the road length will be around 38-39 kilometers
The project has been conceived with the idea of de-congesting Shillong. However, taking into account how works have been going on in Meghalaya, it seems that even this project will take long time in taking its full shape.