SHILLONG, Dec 19: PWD (Buildings) Minister, Dasakhiatbha Lamare, has asserted that the ongoing financial adversity in Meghalaya is doing harm to different infrastructural projects in the state.
Speaking to media persons, Lamare said that it has become difficult for the department to move ahead with developmental projects without monetary aid.
Elated over the fact that none of the project has been stalled till now notwithstanding the financial woes, Lamare said, “Almost every project is being affected due to the crisis but our efforts will be on to ensure that the projects are not stalled”.
The minister said that the situation has, of late, bettered as Meghalaya has been getting grants and funding from ADB and World Bank for different projects whilst Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is also persistently raising the issue of fund crunch with Centre.
It may be mentioned that Meghalaya Government had already moved the central government seeking the release of state’s share from central taxes so as to ameliorate the financial adversity in the state.
With Meghalaya’s dependence on central taxes, the delay in the release of the share has worsened the economic condition here.
Between April and October this year, Meghalaya received a share of Rs 2,273 crore, a deficit of Rs 727 crore from the budget estimate of around Rs 3,000 crore.
Meanwhile, Lamare also informed that the department is presently working on few smaller projects like providing a better accessibility to PwDs in different government offices in the state.
He also said the construction work of few new road projects in Mawhati, covering more than 80 kilometers, are likely to commence by February-March next year.
