SHILLONG, March 2: The proposed six-km road project which connects Kongthong village to Mawmang and Sder in East Khasi Hills is awaiting sanction from the state government.
A senior official on Wednesday said the Public Works Department had already prepared the DPR and even the survey of the road has been completed.
“The fund for this road project may be sanctioned within this month. The tendering process will be taken up in the next financial year 2022-2023. But the funding of this road project would depend on the state government,” the official said.
Replying to a query, he said that the delay in sanctioning of the funds is not due to paucity of the funds.
“So far no funds have been allotted to any road projects from the state scheme throughout the state. Normally the funds under state schemes are sanctioned at the fag-end of the financial year. But the tendering process is carried over to the next fiscal,” the official said.
When contacted, Sohra MDC and Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Titosstarwell Chyne said he had a led a delegation of the leaders from the area to meet Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of PWD, Prestone Tynsong sometime last year to request him to take up this important road project at the earliest.
“I will again follow up with the government to request for sanctioning of the funds for this road project at the earliest,” Chyne said.
It may be mentioned that Rajya Sabha member Prof Rakesh Sinha, who has adopted Kongthong village and extended his patronage to the surrounding villages as well, had also impressed upon Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to take up this road project at the earliest.
A total number of seven villages with a population of over 1000 are expected to benefit from this road project.
The farmers of these eight villages are engaged in cultivation of broomstick, betel nuts, betel leaf, black pepper, turmeric and ginger among other agricultural produce but find it difficult to bring these products to the markets due to the absence of roads. They suspect that the local MLA Gavin Mylliem is not interested in pushing through this scheme with the government simply because the village is adopted by a BJP parliamentarian. Attempts to contact the MLA failed.
The villagers and the traditional heads of the area are left wondering why they have been at the receiving end when their villages have so much tourism and other potentials.
