SHILLONG, JULY 4: A conglomerate of landowners and headmen has opposed the government’s move to hand over the Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura road project to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
A delegation under the banner of the Landowners & Headmen Association to Two Lane National Highway Nongstoin – Rambrai Kyrshai Road upto Meghalaya Assam Border also sough the intervention of the deputy chief minister in-charge PWD Prestone Tynsong into the matter during a meeting held here on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, association publicity secretary BR Thabah said, “We have expressed our deep concern regarding the move of the government to hand over the project to the NHIDCL without taking the stakholders into consideration.”
He said this was done at a time when the land acquisition process of the project has been initiated by the office of the Executive Engineer PWD (roads) after consultation and discussion with the landowners and headmen association.
“Such move will also lead to landowners to be against the implementation of the project by NHIDCL due to language barrier and this will create a lot of hurdles and difficulties to the public especially landowners to communicate with the officials of NHIDCL regarding problems which will be faced during the time of construction,” Thabah said.
On the other hand, the association publicity secretary said that the landowners and headmen are also of the opinion the project for upgradation of Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura raod to two lane national highway 44E & 127B under SARDP-NE Phase-A has been successfully implemented by the National Highway PWD (Roads) of the state.
“Hence, we have suggested the government to reconsider the matter of handing over the project to the NHIDCL,” he said.
Asked, Thabah said that there may be over 1000 landowners along the stretch of the 70 kilometers road.
By Our Reporter
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