Meghalaya is a laggard state when it comes to completion of major infrastructure projects particularly roads and highways. An example is the 38 Km long, Shillong-Western Bypass costing Rs Rs 2,205 crores which was sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways way back in November 2022. The project involves the construction of a 38 km-long two-lane highway from Lad Umsaw to Baniun in Upper Shillong. Needless to say the project includes construction of bridges, intersections, service roads and culverts. The State government has finalised the alignment for the Shillong Western Bypass and land acquisition proceedings for the road project had started in the two districts of Ri Bhoi and East Khasi Hills. Now suddenly there are section of the road where members of certain clans through whose land the road will be passing have put a spanner in the works by stopping the construction work on the plea that they have not received due compensation. The Government on the other hand says the compensation work is done.
The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) face constant challenges in undertaking road projects in Meghalaya as they are made to change alignments by certain dorbar shnong. In December 2024 the work on a stretch of the project was stopped by local clan members between 13.465 km to 15.650 km at Umraleng village even though the land had been handed over to the agency by the Ri-Bhoi district administration on June 18, 2024. According to the NHIDCL official, the clan members claim that they have not received any compensation from the heads of the clan and hence they will not allow any construction work.
Since this particular stretch is the only access point to the project site of package-II it is impossible for the NHIDCL to go ahead with its work, thereby leading to unnecessary stalling of the project and extension of timelines. What is worrying is that Meghalaya has a very short dry season where major construction work can happen. Missing out on this window of opportunity results in delays and cost escalation. Recently the State Government published a tender notice in the local newspapers for construction, metalling and blacktopping of internal roads at Laitkor Lumheh near Woodlands Institute of Nursing. The road length is a mere 1. 035 Km. The project cost is Rs 2.46 crores and the time of completion given to the bidders is 18 months or 1.5 years. Why should construction of a 1.8 km road take so long? What is the normal time taken especially today when much of the work is executed by machines? There is a serious lacuna in the farming of tenders in the PWD which perhaps is executed through the copy-paste method. Such long gestation periods for government construction works is a drain on scarce resources. The PWD Minister has to take note of such poor crafting of tenders. Meghalaya has to meet the challenge of sticking to timelines on all construction projects.
