The State government has approached the Ministry of Rural Development for funds to construct a 7.70 km road connecting Jakopgre and Kakwa Duragre via Rongrekgre in West Garo Hills.
During hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Meghalaya High Court on June 3, the State government stated that the extension of the road is a part of the request made to the Ministry of Rural Development under the third phase of the PMGSY scheme. The State government also said that the request has been listed under serial No. 18.
Arnold G. Momin who filed the PIL had said that there is no proper road between Chiminmingre and Kakwa Duragre and hundreds of villagers in the area face daily difficulties in commuting.
Though a road has been recently constructed upon due sanction being obtained covering approximately 3.674 km between Chiminmingre and Kakwa Songgitcham, a section is incomplete since no bridge has been built across a river.
Momin said that there is a real need for a proper road being constructed between Jakopgre and Kakwa Duragre via Rongrekgre, a distance of about 7.70 km.
According to him, the residents in villages in and around Kakwa Duragre who need to regularly come to Jakopgre or Cheminmingre have only a dirt road and at least one section where a river has to be crossed. He also said that during the rainy season, it is dangerous to try and cross the river and the condition of the existing dirt road deteriorates with falling rain.
Earlier, the State government had said that the estimates for the construction of the road was submitted in 2018 but it was returned by the office of the Chief Engineer, PWD (Roads) to the Executive Engineer, PWD (Roads) at Williamnagar on the ground that the scheme could not be processed due to financial constraints.
