Shillong, Feb 19: The government and opposition traded barbs over the Ride Shillong e-bicycle sharing scheme, which one defended and the other pilloried in the Assembly today.
Opposition MLA for North Shillong Adelbert Nongrum asked if the government will blacklist the consultants and advisers who came up with the “flawed idea” of the scheme.
It was reported in local media, including Highland Post, earlier this month that more than half of the cycles were in a dilapidated condition just months after the Chief Minister had inaugurated the system.
Taking up the issue during Question Hour, Nongrum said, “The Ride Shillong project is like building a bridge where there is no river. Somebody must be held accountable for wasting public money.”
Nongrum also sought to know how such a project could be implemented if the authorities have not made any arrangement for cycle lanes in the city.
Ride Shillong was inaugurated in August last year to much fanfare, though it seems not to have lived up to its objective of getting Shillongites to cycle more even if the CM, Conrad K Sangma, claimed that nearly 1,600 riders have used the cycles.
Sangma went on the attack, stating that Nongrum’s “mindset” of criticising the government is unhelpful.
Although there are no cycle lanes in the city, the CM promised that the under development New Shillong Township will have dedicated lanes for bicycles. He also said that Ride Shillong is not a waste of public money as funding was provided by the German development agency (GIZ) and did not come from the state’s own exchequer.
“We urge the members to change their mindset of criticising everything the government does,” he said.
Replying to queries by Nongrum, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who holds the Urban Affairs portfolio, told the house that 20 electric cycles were rented under the Sustainable Urban Mobility – Air Quality, Climate Action and Accessibility Project.
The contractor for Ride Shillong is Chartered Bike Pvt Ltd of Ranchi, Jharkhand.
