Shillong, Jul 10: The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairperson of the District Highway Safety Task Force of East Khasi Hills has passed an order mandating that all commercial structures set up along the “right of way” on the National Highway section between 3rd Mile and 7th Mile in Upper Shillong be taken down by July 15.
The order was passed on June 30, giving 15 days’ notice of the move to dismantle and remove the “illegal structures”.
A right of way on a highway refers to the total strip of land legally acquired by the government for a road’s construction, operation, maintenance and future expansion. This encompasses not just the paved driving lanes but also shoulders, medians, sidewalks, drainage systems and utility spaces.
The order cited a Supreme Court ruling in 2025 regarding National Highway safety where the apex court banned the construction and/or operation of any new dhaba, eatery or commercial structure on a National Highway right of way.
If operators do not dismantle the structures themselves, officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (NHIDCL) will.
