The National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) today informed that the contractor in respect of Package I of the Shillong Dawki four-lane road project has been identified.
During a hearing in the Meghalaya High Court today, the NHIDCL said that since the construction of the flyover from Rilbong to Jhalupara falls within the package, the work will be undertaken expeditiously after felling of the remaining trees.
NHIDCL also informed that as of now about 63 trees have already been felled. It also stated that once the project gets away in right earnest in respect of Package I, the remainder of the trees required to be felled may be cut down after planting adequate numbers of trees and ensuring their maintenance at least for a period of a year.
In its latest report on the status of the Shillong-Dawki four-lane project till May 24, the NHIDCL stated that there are five packages in the project. It also said that work in respect of Packages II and IV of the project is going on in right earnest but the contractors who had been awarded Package I and Package V have abandoned the work and the re-tender process initially resulted in a solitary bid being received for Package I.
Now, after at least one more bid has been received, the contractor in respect of Package I has been identified.
It is further submitted on behalf of NHIDCL that there is no progress in the works pertaining to Packages III and V. The status report also mentioned the several impediments in the work being taken up in respect of these two packages. The impediments are, mainly, due to the local landowners not being willing to part with land or disputes having arisen regarding the area of land necessary and the land compensation.
In particular, there is a serious problem that has arisen with the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, which has a large tract of land allotted to it to the left of the road as one approaches Upper Shillong from the Rilbong area.
The institute complained that the widening of the road would affect the fragile magnetic records maintained in the institute.
However, the problem is that there is no road on the other side and unless the institute agrees to part with some land, there can be no widening of the road on the relevant stretch.
“It is hoped that NHIDCL and the National Highways Authorities of India will approach the appropriate Union Ministry under which the said institute falls and persuade the institute to part with sufficient land for the widening of the road on such stretch. The State government should assist the NHIDCL in resolving the issues pertaining to acquisition of land and payment of compensation in several of the other areas,” the division bench of the High Court said while asking NHIDCL to submit another status report at the next hearing to be held on July 11.
