SHILLONG: The North Eastern Council (NEC) has contradicted the claim of Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who blamed the Centre for the delay in the completion of Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Mawiong.
In a statement on Tuesday, the NEC said that it has timely and regularly released funds to the state Transport department for construction of ISBT and that there was no delay on its part in releasing funds at any stage.
The NEC further stated that the project was sanctioned for the cost of Rs 48.3 crore in January 2013 with NEC’s share of Rs 43.4 crore out of which it has already released Rs 37.9 crore till July 2019. The last release of Rs 10 crore was made on July 2020. The minister recently said the delay is from the Centre’s side and not from the department.
The ISBT is a project of the NEC and the Transport department which and is being executed by the PWD.
The project has been delayed by years and multiple deadlines have been missed since it was sanctioned in 2013.
It is aimed at decongesting the overcrowded parking lots in Shillong. The new terminus will accommodate 150-200 buses.
Once completed, it will be the second ISBT in the state after the one at Tura, which was inaugurated recently.
