SHILLONG, JUNE 10: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong on Monday appealed to Bindas Syiem to call off her hunger strike protest and assured that the government will take up with the Centre for immediate sanctioning of funds for reconstruction of Nongpoh to Umden road.
Bindas has been staging an indefinite hunger strike for the past five days to protest against deplorable condition of the said road.
Addressing media persons, Tynsong informed that in the month of March, 2024 the government was able to submit to the Government of India through the North Eastern Council (NEC) to the Ministry for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) for allocation of funds for the reconstruction and widening of 20 kms road from Nongpoh to Umden at a cost of Rs 51-52 crore.
“The detailed project report (DPR) is being prepared and within a few days time I am very sure DPR will be submitted to the planning department and then again, we will send it to NEC and NEC will forward it to the Ministry of DoNER,” he said. He assured that “Ultimately Chief Minister and myself will go and meet the (Union) Minister of DoNER along with officers of the Ministry to push for immediate sanction of this particular project.”
He said that the government had proposed to convert the road from Nongpoh to Umden into an intermediate lane and not single lane because they have already calculated the traffic volume of that area.
Tynsong also informed that the scheme relating to the second phase of the project from Umden up to Lum-nongrim (39 kms), which will connect with the national highway up to Byrnihat, is already included in the PMGSY-III at the cost of Rs 50-51 crore.
“The total amount for the two projects will cross Rs 100 crore. I am very sure these roads will really help those villages all along this road right from Nongpoh, Umden and towards Lum-nongrim.”
“With this clarification, I would fervently request Bindas Syiem to discontinue her fasting as far as fighting for repairing and for reconstruction of this particular road since I have already explained (about the status of the road),” Tynsong said.
“In fact today I have invited her also to meet me but even now since she could not meet me in case if she’s still not satisfied with my clarification, the door is open to meet me anytime whenever she wanted but from the government and department, I would again request through all of you, Kong Syiem do call off or discontinue her fasting or hunger strike,” he added.