JAC of Hingaria, Huroi, Lahalein and Lejri anguished and sad over NEC’s attitude towards the Sonapur-Borkhat road project
Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Hingaria, Huroi, Lahalein and Lejri, the people of the four border villages have expressed their deep anguish and sadness over the North Eastern Council’s (NEC) further delaying of the Sonapur-Borkhat road construction.
In a Press Communique Raja L. Suchen, Secretary, JAC said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) Sonapur-Borkhat Rd proposed under the North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) had been submitted way back in 2008-09 and has finally been forwarded to the Ministry of DONER for approval but till date the same is yet to be approved for reasons best known to the NEC & Ministry of DoNER.
Suchen stated that the Chief Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya had issued an undertaking vide letter dated 03/03/2021 which certified that the Government of Meghalaya undertakes to fund the balance portion of Rs. 88.33 crore (Phase-II) and to complete the whole project in case NERSDS is not continued during the 15th Finance Commission period. In the said letter dated 3rd March, 2021, a request has been made to NEC to consider sanctioning the amount of Rs. 62.20 crore for the first phase of the road project at the earliest. This phase has been recorded in the Meghalaya High Court Order dated 20.04.2021.
However, even after the state government has given such an undertaking, the NEC has not recommended the Sonapur-Borkhat Rd for approval to the MDoNER which is to be accounted from the balance outlay of 2020-2021. What irks the JAC is the fact that the NEC has instead recommended a project in the state of Nagaland, the DPR of which was submitted only on 30th December 2020 and consequent to this recommendation, the Ministry of DONER has approved and sanctioned the project from Nagaland in March 2021.
The Sonapur-Borkhat road, inspite of its strategic location near the Bangladesh border and effect on the livelihood of the people, has been ignored by the NEC inspite of the dire need of the local populace. This road project had been proposed a long time back and the affected villages had held several protests at Khliehriat demanding immediate sanction of the project.
The NEC as per information received has again sent the DPR for the Sonapur-Borkhat road on the 4th May 2021 for consideration of the IMC as and when the NERSDS is approved by the 15th Finance Commission, however till date no progress has been made on this matter. In spite of repeated assurances by the government, the approval of the project has been delayed for a very long time much to the disadvantage of the rural population. The JAC blames this delay on the lack of political will.
The JAC, through the communique appeals to the Government of Meghalaya, the NEC and the Ministry of DONER to take immediate action so that the much delayed project of Sonapur-Borkhat road is sanctioned as soon as possible without any political consideration because the people deserve the road and hence should be sanctioned as priority. The communique of the JAC has also stated that any further delay in approving the road project will only invite agitation from the people of the border villages against the State Government, the NEC and MDONER.
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