Although Shillong MP Ricky Syngkon did not claim that he was the one who got financial sanction for the repair of National Highway-6 between Jowai and Ratacherra; media reports on the same have triggered immediate reaction from the Meghalaya government.
It may be mentioned that on July 2, Syngkon met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and briefed him about the condition of the highway stretch from Jowai to Ratacherra. He also submitted a letter to the Union minister urging the Centre to take immediate steps to address the hardship faced by commuters due to the deplorable condition of NH-6.
Media reports said that during the meeting, Gadkari informed Syngkon that the Ministry for Road Transport and Highways had sanctioned Rs 290 crore for urgent repair and upkeep of Jowai-Ratacherra section of NH-6 and another Rs 90 crore for repairing the landslide affected stretches at Lumshnong and Sonapur with work scheduled to commence post-monsoon.
However, today as soon as the news regarding the information given by Gadkari to Syngkon regarding the highway came out, the State government immediately jumped in to clarify that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had approved the proposal for strengthening and repair of NH-6 between Jowai-Ratacherra with a financial implication of Rs. 200.81 crores on October 17, 2023 itself.
A statement from the Secretary of PWD stated that this approval was communicated through a letter dated November 1, 2023.
The PWD Secretary further said that the work has been taken up in two packages and the tender for the first package for the strengthening/improvement work, including regular maintenance work, from Km 69.200 to Km 120.200 was finalised and Letter of Acceptance was issued on February 7 this year.
“The contract agreement was signed on March 8, 2024, for a contract amount of Rs 77.81 crore and the work commenced on March 23, 2024,” the PWD Secretary said.
The official stated that the tender for second package for the strengthening/improvement work, including regular maintenance work, from Km 120.200 to Km 171.455 was finalised and a Letter of Acceptance was issued on February 2, 2024, for a contract amount of Rs 122.99 crore
The contract agreement was signed on February 22, 2024, and the work commenced on March 22, 2024.
The PWD stated that as regarding critical vulnerable locations on NH-6 and preparation of a mitigation plan for the same, THDC India Limited had been selected by NHAI as the consultant responsible for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for landslide mitigation and slope stabilisation at seven vulnerable locations, including addressing mudslide/landslide concerns at the Sonapur Tunnel area.
“An MoU has been signed between NHAI and THDCIL on February 15, 2024 to prepare the DPR for these seven locations,” the PWD Secretary stated.
The DPR amounting to Rs 89.90 crore for these locations was submitted by THDCIL and forwarded to Regional Office of NHAI in Guwahati on June 18, 2024 for the allotment of the work and tendering and the sanction of the same is awaited.
The PWD Secretary stated that the matter was taken up for early finalisation by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, on June 24 during his meeting with Gadkari.
Even NPP MLA from Sutnga-Saipung constituency Santa Mary Shylla joined the chorus to say that it is unlikely to get an overnight sanction of Rs 290 crore for the repair work on the Jowai-Ratacherra section of NH-6.
“I don’t know which amount he is talking about and I am also confused but the real fact is that Rs 281 crore was sanctioned in October 2023 and the remaining is already in process. The DPR has been prepared and now we are waiting for the pending sanctions that are Rs 89.90 crore and you cannot get an overnight sanction anywhere that is impossible,” Shylla told media persons here today.
Stating that the Shillong MP must be talking about already sanctioned Rs 281 crore, she said, “Brainwashing the people is not nice. When the government had worked so hard all these years to get a sanction of this amount and someone just taking the credit is not good.”
She also reminded that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had also done a follow-up meeting with Gadkari on the project.
Shylla however said if Syngkon’s claim of an additional sanction of Rs 290 crore for urgent repair and maintenance of NH-6 is genuine, she will personally congratulate him.
“We are happy the Shillong MP has taken the initiative in which he said he got a sanction of Rs 290 crore. Since the State government has already received Rs 281 crore it will be very good for us if we get another additional amount of 290 crore. We are more than happy and I will myself go and congratulate him for getting us that amount,” she added.
