By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 22: The Shillong-Dawki road project continues to face significant delays due to unresolved issues over the alignment of the Pynursla Bypass. Despite the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) racing against time to award the project to an implementing agency, the state government is yet to finalise the land handover.
Sources informed that the state government had initially finalised the 7.556-km Pynursla alignment and began the survey, but subsequently called it off for unspecified reasons.
It was informed that the NHIDCL must issue the start date to the implementing agency by August but the state government is yet to hand over the necessary land.
The District Administration had reportedly informed the NHIDCL that they were negotiating with the wrong stakeholders and urged the agency to identify the rightful landowners to resolve the issues.
Further, the NHIDCL reportedly has not secured possession of land spanning 25 pockets and 710 meters for the Mawshun Bypass under Package-4 from Saitbakan to Wakhadai, four years since the project was sanctioned.
Further, with the onset of the monsoon, the road-laying work has been halted, and only the drainage and retaining structure work is going on.
It was also informed that the state government now seeks to extend the proposed overpass under the Shillong-Dawki project to Barik, with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma planning to discuss this with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Recent reports of “government inaction” on land handover for the Western Bypass have resulted in swift action from the state government.
In package 1, 95 per cent of the land has been handed over to NHIDCL, while in package 2, 92 per cent of the land has been handed over. Further, in package 3, as much as 83 per cent of the land possession has been accorded to the NHIDCL.