36-yr-old road project cause an uproar in the Assembly

Shillong, Sep 5 (PTI) A 30.5 km-long road which was never completed even after 36 years in remote West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya today caused an uproar in the House even as the government said it examining and taking up the matter on a priority basis. Sanctioned way back in 1976 at an initial cost of Rs 388.73 lakh, four years after Meghalaya got its statehood, the Dimapara – Deku bazar road has never been used, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told the House during the question hour of the first day of the three-day long autumn session of the Assembly. "There were missing gaps between 11–15 km along the road and the road has never been used," Sangma said while replying to a question by Leader of Opposition Conrad K Sangma on the latest status of the road. The CM assured the government will examine and take the matter on a priority basis for the development of the area even as he blamed the NCP-led government for causing further delay in construction of the road. He said, the previous government, in which the Opposition NCP was in power, in 2009 had de-sanctioned six bridges along the road and caused further delay in the completion of the road project. Unhappy at the accusation that the NCP-led government had affected the delay, Conrad said the de-sanctioning was made due to fund constraints in the department. "In 2003-05, the government had sanctioned Rs 800 crore schemes under the PWD against an actual budget of only Rs 100 crore," Conrad said. Speaker Charles Pyngrope had to intervene and stop the heated argument between the NCP leader and the chief minister.