Four-laning to be completed by March: Union Minister
SHILLONG: The ongoing four-laning work of the crucial National Highway 40, better known as Guwahati- Shillong- road, will be completed by March this year.
This was announced by Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan here on Thursday.
Speaking to media persons after reviewing progress of the ongoing road projects in the state, Radhakrishnan said that the project (four-laning) has been delayed due to land acquisition hurdle.
“The four-laning of the 61.8 km highway from Jorabat to Umiam (Barapani) will be completed by March, 2015. However, the Umsning bypass on the highway will take another year’s time for completion due to delay in land acquisition,” he said.
“The State Government couldn’t acquire the land on time and just this year it was done. So it would take another year to complete construction of this portion of the Highway,” Radhakrishnan said.
Reacting to a query on frequent landslides along the highway, he said some temporary measures have been taken in this regard.
He also said that the problem of landslide would be addressed once the project is completed.
The 62-km four-laning of NH 40 (Umiam to Jorabat) has been taken up by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as the implementing agency with an estimated budget of Rs 536 crore.
While visiting Shillong, the minister inspected the Road at Nongpoh and Umiam and took stock of the construction work.
Meanwhile, talking about the 2 laning of Jowai-Ratacherra project, he informed that the contract has been terminated and re-bidding is in process in Engineering , procurement and Construction (EBC) mode.
He also asked the State Government to expedite the land acquisition process for the project.
According to the Union Minister, five projects under EPC mode have been undertaken in Meghalaya during the year 2014-15 covering a total length of 337 kilometers at an estimated cost of Rs 2243.59 crores .
This projects are – Nongstoin to Domiasat, Barapani to Shillong of NH 40, Ranikor-Baghmara, Mawthabah-Ranikor, Nongstoin-Chaigaon and out of these projects, up-gradation to 2 lane of State road stretching from Nongstoin – Domiasat Via Wakhaji with the total length of 61.57 kms at an estimated cost of Rs 355.10 crores has already been awarded while the other four remaining projects are pending for awards of contract due to non-transfer of 90% of land.
Talking about the two laning of Shillong-Nongstoin section of NH 44 (E) AND Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura road under SARDP-NE, the minister informed that the project would cover 264 km at an estimated budget of Rs 2158 crore. “In this project, the total cost for land acquisition and utility shifting is Rs 180.01 crores against which 164.94 crores has already been placed at the disposal of the Government based on the bills submitted,” he said.
