The Voice of the People Party (VPP) which recently visited Mawshun village near Pynursla on the request of villagers who were opposed to the alignment of National Highway-40 has today written to the East Khasi Hills district administration seeking rectification of the alignment in line with the suggestions made by the villagers.
VPP president Ardent M. Basaiawmoit in his letter to East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Rosette M. Kurbah today referred to the findings of the party delegation and the members of the media during the inspection of the highway alignment at Mawshun on July 17.
Stating that the VPP delegation visited Mawshun in order to get firsthand information about the entire issue in connection with the acquisition of land for the improvement of NH-40, Basaiawmoit said that during the inspection it was found that the NHIDCL has carried out excavation works on land that has not been given or handed over by the land owners and also against the decision of the village dorbar.
“Further, the NHIDCL has also destroyed some lands of the villagers which have not been acquired for the construction of the said road. The landowners had already filed the First Information Report (FIR) against the company for causing damage to the lands, trees, crops, and vegetation,” Basaiawmoit said.
“It is quite obvious that streams and many water bodies around the areas will be affected over and above the destruction of flora and fauna. It will also reduce the forest cover and badly affect the ecosystem in the area. We are also made to understand that the village dorbar was not against this road project. However, they want the same to be carried out through the existing road only,” he added.
Urging the Deputy Commissioner to intervene in the matter and immediately stop the ongoing excavation of land by the construction company, Basaiawmoit said that all stakeholders including the village dorbar should be taken into confidence on the matter in order to settle the problem once and for all.
