By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 4: The state government plans to approach the Centre with a proposal for a change in the scope of work for an elevated stretch under package 1 of the Shillong-Dawki Road project.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the road planned beyond Rilbong earlier was not a proper flyover. The government is now exploring an elevated road towards the Anjalee petrol pump.
“We are taking it up with the central government so that the elevated road reaches the petrol pump. There was no proposal for an elevated road earlier,” he said on Monday after a meeting to review all the road projects being implemented by the NHIDCL.
He said the NHIDCL officials are also in favour of an elevated road.
The meeting was attended by officials from all the departments concerned apart from the deputy commissioners and the contractors.
Briefing media persons, Sangma said they went through all the projects and asked each contractor to give a deadline for the different works.
“We asked them about the problems they are facing and based on that, we asked the officials to resolve those issues,” he said, adding that the government would continuously monitor the projects.
The chief minister said the government is hopeful of a positive impact on all the projects under implementation in the state.
Some of the projects have run into problems such as land acquisition, forest clearance, and issues of utility shifting. The issues and the degree of complication vary from project to project, Sangma said.
“Even in land acquisition, there are different issues such as rates and ROW (right of way). In some places, people are claiming government land as theirs,” he said.
The projects reviewed during the meeting include the Nongstoin-Wahkaji Road, Ranikor-Nonghyllam-Maheshkhola-Baghmara Road, and the Western Bypass.