By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 30: The Meghalaya government is considering the use of government-owned spaces in Shillong to widen roads in the city.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the government needs additional space to widen roads, which is limited in the city. To address this, the process has begun to utilise government land for both greener spaces and road expansion. He explained that once the under-construction Secretariat at New Shillong Township is completed, the existing Secretariat will be vacated and its space can be repurposed. Similarly, the current Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building at Police Bazar will also be used for creating parking facilities and expanding roads once the new Assembly complex at New Shillong is ready.
Sangma further informed that there is a Rs 45-crore proposal to expand the boundary of Ward’s Lake by developing a platform and footpath to allow people to walk. However, he admitted that certain policy challenges remain, and the project may take more time to materialize.
On the issue of Shillong’s poor public transportation system, the chief minister said the government intends to strengthen it but must weigh available options within limited resources. While projects like cable cars and metro trains face financial constraints, the government has prioritised creating more parking facilities to help decongest the city’s roads.
