SHILLONG: The Khasi Students Union (KSU) has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) general manager/project director on Monday for postponing repair work on NH6.
Registering a formal complaint against the nodal agency of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with the Superintendent of Police, East Jaintia Hills district unit of the student body submitted documents, photographs, and videos verifying their claim.
The president of the unit, Streamly Suchen, said that the FIR has been registered because delay in the roadwork poses a public safety risk, necessitating immediate intervention to ensure citizens’ safety.
On August 8, during protest by the KSU addressing the issue on NH6, the Manager Technical of NHAI, Biswajit Jyoti Lahkor, had assured protestors that the NH6 segment near the Lumshnong Toll Plaza would undergo repairs within six weeks. However, as the eight-week mark approaches, no repair work by NHAI is evident, Union said.
The KSU East Jaintia Hills unit had been taking up the issue for a few months. On September 25, the union had demonstrated a highway blockade on NH-6 in Khliehriat. During the protest, demonstrators staged a six-hour blockade each day, from 10 am to 4 pm, for an entire week.
The Meghalaya High Court had expressed concerns about NHAI’s handling of the state of NH-6 infrastructure, specifically a nearly 2 km segment passing through Khliehriat town, East Jaintia Hills. Earlier, on September 20, citing potential budgeting oversights for routine maintenance, the court had ordered NHAI’s Northeast regional head to personally evaluate the site. A comprehensive report detailing the current road state and immediate corrective actions is awaited.
The court had also dismissed NHAI’s claims about the NH-6 stretch from Jowai to Ratacherra being in good condition, except near the Sonapur tunnel, as untrue.
