The new Meghalaya State Assembly building, officially started in 2019 at Mawdiangdiang has been waylaid by shifting deadlines. This new building was necessitated because the old building at Khyndailad, constructed in 1937 was gutted in January 2001. It has been 25 years that the Assembly proceedings have been held in a building that was supposed to be an arts and culture venue at Rilbong. In any other state a building the size of the Meghalaya Assembly would not have taken more than two years but this building has taken seven years with no signs of completion anytime soon. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was correct to walk out in irritation over the repeatedly shelved deadlines. In May 2022, construction was marred by the collapse of a 70-tonne dome which made headlines. Thankfully no one was hurt. The building costs Rs 177.7 crore, and the design for the entire building was vetted by IIT-Rourkee. Local engineers attribute the dome collapse to its weight which was far beyond what the columns and beams could carry.
The construction firm Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd (UPRNN) – a public sector undertaking under the Government of Uttar Pradesh—is perhaps not experienced in building over hilly terrains with rains playing spoilsport for nearly six months a year. A fact-check of the UPRNNL website shows this is a wholly state-owned construction and consultancy enterprise of the Uttar Pradesh Government established back in 1975. UPRNN was established ostensibly to eliminate middlemen and large private contractors to deliver all state-sponsored projects with optimal speed, quality and economy. This firm handles civil engineering and infrastructure work, project management and consultancy and executes projects for various government and semi-government entities. However, in the case of the Meghalaya Assembly building, UPRNN subcontracted the construction work to firms that had been disqualified during the tender evaluation stage. After UPRRN handed over the main building structure to the state government, the interior work of the assembly hall was allotted separately to local and New Delhi-based contractors, resulting in further delays. No construction work in Meghalaya has ever been completed on schedule, and no government building stands out for its architectural beauty or construction quality. There are far too many hiccups along the way. The state of our roads within Shillong city should indicate the quality of the Public Works Department which does not appear to follow any norms and standards. Roads repaired this year will last an average of six months after which they need repairs. Large sections of roads are built with no drainage system on the sides hence rain water cuts through the bitumen-laid road.
Meghalaya’s problem is the absence of performance audits by the state government. Many schemes and projects are implemented in the breach and never reach conclusion. Forget about the results of the plethora of well-intentioned schemes. The MDA Government, now in its second term cannot claim success in any major project. A cursory glance at the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) will reveal the list of unfinished projects and pending utilisation certificates for projects allegedly completed. Without the utilisation certificates how can a project be assessed and the spendings authenticated. Unless there is a serious effort to streamline the PWD and PHE Departments which are big budget departments, development in Meghalaya will remain hamstrung.
