Meghalaya government has not disbursed money deposited by the corporation for land compensation
SHILLONG, May 24: The National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) may terminate the road projects in the state if it does not receive support from the Meghalaya government.
NHIDCL officials said its projects have hardly been implemented in Meghalaya because of the indifference of the state government.
The officials said the government has not disbursed the compensation to the landowners for the Western Bypass even though the corporation deposited the entire land acquisition funds with the government months ago.
“Every day, we are receiving petitions from the landowners and it seems that the state government does not have the will to implement these projects,” a senior official said, declining to be quoted.
The implementing agencies have been pressuring the NHIDCL for dates to start the projects awarded in 2023. The corporation has been unable to because the government failed to resolve the land compensation issue. “In the Northeast, the poorest response to our projects has been from the Meghalaya government,” the official said.
He added that the assurances made by the state government during meetings have not translated into action on the ground yet.
The NHIDCL has not received the possession of land covering 25 pockets and stretching 710 metres for the Mawshun Bypass under Package 4 from Saitbakan to Wakhadai four years after the project was sanctioned.
An order was issued recently to halt the survey for the Pynursla Bypass as the state government could not resolve the land-related issues for a stretch of 1.4 km for the road project.