The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken note of the reportedly shoddy construction of the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) and will submit a report on the matter to the central government via the North Eastern Council (NEC), which funded the project.
AL Hek, one of the BJP’s two MLAs in the current Assembly, visited the site today. The ISBT in Mawlai, which was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last year but only began operations on April 1 this year, has been in the news of late after photographs of its leaky roofs and damp walls went viral.
The facility was constructed at a cost of Rs 48 crore.
Hek was earlier this year named as the chairman of the BJP’s central scheme monitoring committee. He said that the sheer number of complaints necessitated his inspection.
Hek added that he was concerned for the safety of the passengers using the ISBT and the staff working there. News of the facility’s problems would give the state a bad reputation, he warned. There has already been much criticism of the lack of shuttle bus service between the ISBT and Shillong proper. Taxi drivers have been accused of fleecing passengers but the state government has been unable to fix this issue.
“We have seen that there are so many leaks and cracks in the building,” Hek said.
The Pynthorumkhrah MLA added that irregular power supply is also another concern at the ISBT. The committee has suggested that a backup generator has to be installed for the convenience of those using the ISBT.
Bernadette Lyngdoh, the chairwoman of the East Khasi Hills CSMC, said that a report will be compiled and then forwarded to the central government through the NEC.
“Based on that, whatever actions have to be taken will be decided by the concerned authorities but our job here is to ensure the central schemes are thoroughly and rightly implemented,” Lyngdoh said.
