SHILLONG: Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari had promised in May this year that the work on the 103-km Jowai-Ratacherra road project will commence within the next three months. The promise made by the Union Minister is yet to materialize.
It was on May 1 this year that Gadkari while dedicating two major road projects – the Shillong Bypass and Umiam-Jorabat four-lane – to the nation had announced that the work on the road stretching from Jowai in West Jaintia Hills to Ratacherra in East Jaintia Hills will commence within 90 days. However, four months hence, the project is yet to take off.
The proposed project is set to be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 630 crore and should be a boon not only for Meghalaya but the neighbouring state of Assam among others.
It has been learnt that the technical work for the project is in the final stage and the bidding process would start shortly.
Though around 90% of the land for the project has been acquired, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) wants more land to avoid landslides in the area. The maintenance of the road is currently being taken care of by the PWD.
The proposed upgradation of NH 44 from Jowai to Ratacherra (Meghalaya-Assam border), which was scheduled to start last year, has been off track for several years and the expansion work has been approved under Phase III of the National Highway Development Programme.
