Informing that the last six years has seen a sustained push to build new roads, upgrade existing ones and connect habitations, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today said that new road projects with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore will be initiated in the next financial year.
These include the rehabilitation and strengthening of the Chokpot to Karukol road at about Rs 156 crore, widening of Mawphlang – Balat road at Rs 87 crore and construction of major bridge over river Umngot on Jongksha-Moodymmai-Wahiajer Road at Rs 25 crore.
In his budget speech, Sangma said that the State government is working on a comprehensive roadmap for rehabilitating 5,909 kilometres of all-weather roads and converting 1,634 kilometres of fair-weather roads to all weather roads by 2032.
According to him, a systematic programme for maintenance of the existing road network is also being finalised by putting in place a Road Asset Management system.
“Under the Chief Minister’s Rural Connectivity programme, all unconnected villages will be covered progressively. Suspension foot bridges will be built to enable people to cross streams in a safe and comfortable manner. For 2024-25, the target is to cover 100 unconnected villages and build 100 suspension foot bridges. I am allocating an amount of Rs150 crore to achieve this,” he said.
He also said that the second phase of the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project is being designed with a planned investment of Rs 2,400 crore with support from the World Bank. The State government is allocating an amount of Rs 2,709 crore for the Roads and Building sector for 2024-25.
