SHILLONG, NOV 11: South West Khasi Hills unit of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU-SWKH) threatened to stage agitations against the government’s decision to drop a 40 kilometers (KM) road project in the district alleging it was done at the behest of the chief minister.
“We strongly expressed our opposition against this decision of the government in SWKH which is still one of the backward in the state,” president of the union Kitboklang Syiemlieh told reporters on Tuesday.
It may be mentioned here that the 40 KM road from Weiloi to Rangblang which was projected to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 27 crore is one of the 45 projects under Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) which was dropped last year, based on the recommendation of the Chief Minister in the 118th meeting of NLCPR committee.
“We cannot digest this impartial attitude of the government taking away what has been fixed to be given to us in this way,” Syiemlieh said adding they are still in the dark as to what was the reason that the project has to be dropped from the priority list of the government.
According to Syiemlieh, people of the district had hope that the project will be a great blessing for hundreds of villages along the stretch of the road as it would provide better road connectivity as well as boost the economy of the district.
Syiemlieh informed earlier last year, a delegation of the union had met the state PWD minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and also the district legislator, who is also a Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh, to seek clarification as well as their intervention into the matter.
“While the Lyngdoh feign ignorance that he was not aware on the matter, the PWD minister however said it is something that was decided earlier at the level of the CM,” Syiemlieh said.
Meanwhile, before staging their proposed agitations, the union has also decided to take the matter before the public by organizing a public meeting on November 21, at Mawkyrwat, the headquarter of the newly created district.
“We would invite all politicians and stakeholders including all traditional heads and NGOs to the public meeting, to tell them on the decision of the government and at the same time seek their views and support before taking the matter forward,” union’s general secretary Forwardman Nongrem said.
Nongrem informed that based on the resolution of the public meeting, the union will chalk out the programme of agitations against the government. “We demand that the government restore back the project immediately,” he demanded.- By Our Reporter
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