SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Government has decided to scrap the first phase of the smart city road project due to feasibility issues and lack of sufficient land, said Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar.
Deputy CM Dhar, who is also in-charge of urban and municipal affairs, said instead of proceeding with the smart roads project, the state government is now preparing a fresh proposal to improve all arterial roads in Shillong using state funds.
The decision was taken during a meeting between the Deputy Chief Minister and the PWD (Roads) department, where the difficulties in implementing the original project were discussed.
The smart road project, which included 17 incomplete roads across Meghalaya, had only progressed by 3 to 4 percent before being stopped.
A road in the Lachaumiere area is one such incomplete projects.
Dhar said the decision to cancel the road city project was taken due to lack of sufficient land and feasibility issues in implementing the overall projects.
The government is now planning to resurface all city roads in a manner similar to smart roads, using funds from the state plan through the PWD department. He added the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this new initiative is currently being prepared.
The deputy CM, however, said that the other smart city projects are reportedly progressing well. “Several projects, including the Polo market and Laitumkhrah market, are likely to be inaugurated in August and September,” Dhar said.
Besides, 12 to 13 parking places that are being funded by the smart city project are under construction, he said.
On unauthorised checks on migrant labourers at construction sites, the Deputy Chief Minister urged for cooperation between NGOs and the state government to address documentation issues of the migrant labourers.
While emphasizing on the importance of local labours, he also acknowledged that certain work requires skilled workers from outside the state. He added that the contractors and agencies should ensure proper documentation of all workers.
