Northeast Desk, 13th July: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has decided to cancel the first phase of the smart city road project, citing feasibility issues. Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, in charge of urban and municipal affairs, announced the decision on July 12.
Instead of continuing with the smart road initiative, the government will now focus on improving all significant city roads using state funds. This decision was made following a meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Dhar and the Public Works Department (PWD) officials, where they discussed the challenges of implementing the original project.
The smart road project, which included 17 incomplete road projects across the state, had only achieved 3-4% progress before being halted. One of these unfinished projects was a road in the Lachaumiere area.
The cancellation was primarily due to a lack of available land and overall project infeasibility. The government now plans to resurface all city roads to a standard similar to that of smart roads, using funds from the state plan through the PWD department. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this new initiative is currently being prepared.
Despite this setback, other smart city projects are progressing well. Deputy Chief Minister Dhar mentioned that several projects, including the Polo Market and Laitumkhrah Market, might be inaugurated in August and September. Additionally, 12-13 parking facilities funded by the smart city project and state plan are under construction.
Addressing concerns about unauthorised checks on migrant labourers at construction sites, Dhar stated he had not received any significant disruption reports. He called for cooperation between NGOs and the government to address documentation issues and ensure the state’s progress.
The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized the importance of local labour while acknowledging that certain specialised work requires skilled workers from outside. He urged contractors and agencies to ensure proper documentation for all workers.
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