GUWAHATI: Assam has categorically said it would not allow Meghalaya to stop construction of two roads near the inter-state border.
According to reports, work is underway to construct the Umsohbar-Belakhowa and Bakhlapara-Junbarigaon roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
Meghalaya PWD Minister Prestone Tynsong, while replying to the call attention motion in the state Assembly last week, claimed that the roads were verified to be located within its territory and that construction should be stopped immediately.
West Guwahati MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, however, categorically denied the claim saying the state government would not allow Meghalaya to obstruct or prevent construction of the two roads.
“The Umsohbar-Belakhowa road falls within Assam and so it is our responsibility to build the road. A portion of Bakhlapara-Junbarigaon, of course, is under Meghalaya’s jurisdiction, but since the road is being constructed under a central scheme, commuters belonging to both the states would benefit. So I don’t see any reason why Meghalaya should take such a decision in the Assembly to stop work,” Kalita told The Shillong Times on the sidelines of a foundation stone laying ceremony for improvement/construction of four roads under North Guwahati State Road Division here on Friday.
West Guwahati constituency in Assam shares a border with Jirang constituency in Meghalaya.
“Three days ago I had requested chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to intervene and take up the matter with his Meghalaya counterpart to ensure work is allowed to carry on smoothly,” he said. Kalita had written a letter last October to inform the then PWD minister of Meghalaya about the construction of the PMGSY road near the inter-state border, requesting cooperation.
“However, since there was no response or official communication from Meghalaya, we decided to go ahead with the road construction,” he said.
The Meghalaya PWD minister had further informed the Assembly that detailed project reports were prepared for three roads – Bakhlapara to Junbarigoan (2.25 km), Junbarigaon to Belakhowa (8.608km) and Pahamshru to Ranibari (4 km). The ministry of rural development had earlier this month accorded sanction to the DPRs under Batch I of 2018-19.
