JAC resents delay in resumption of work on Shillong-Dawki road
Shillong, Jan 17: A Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Wednesday asked Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is also in-charge of PWD (Roads), to step down if he cannot ensure the immediate resumption of the construction work along the stretch from Pynursla to Dawki under Phase IV of the Shillong-Dawki Road project.
The JAC, comprising Federation of Riwar Mihngi Local Dorbars (FRLMD), HANM Riwar Mihngi Circle and HYC Riwar Mihngi Circle, threatened that it will file a PIL in the High Court of Meghalaya if the work is not resumed within 20 days.
FRLMD publicity secretary Edmund Khongngai said Tynsong should step down if he cannot resolve the problems being faced by the people of his Pynursla constituency.
“It shows that the NHIDCL is not respecting the local MLA despite his direction that the work should be started immediately,” Khongngai said.
According to him, the road from Pynursla onwards is in a very pathetic condition. He said they failed to understand why blacktopping is not done along the stretches where the road’s widening has been completed.
Khongngai said the NHIDCL claimed it has not been able to start the work as the contractor is facing some problem.
Earlier, the JAC had barged into the office of NHIDCL to demand the immediate resumption of the work. The FRLMD said people are facing hardships due to the delay in the completion of the road.
Last year, the state government had asked the NHIDCL to complete all four packages of the road. It had asked the contractors to take their work seriously and start it as soon as possible.
The FRLMD and the pressure groups are concerned over the dilapidated condition of the road from Siatbakon to Dawki. This stretch is part of the four-lane expansion project from Rilbong in Shillong to Dawki.
FRMLD president JJ Roy Khongmawloh said the road condition has remained dilapidated since 2020 with no one taking interest in repairing it even after funds were sanctioned and compensation was paid to landowners.
“The only thing left now is the work to start,” Khongmawloh said, adding, “We were only given false promises. They first said the work couldn’t be started due to monsoon but it has not taken off even in the dry season now.”
When the representatives of the federation met Tynsong, they were told there was interference from “some groups” which prevented the NHIDCL from carrying out the work.
“But the company executing the work and even the NHIDCL said they have their own reasons why they could not start the project,” Khongmawloh said.