SHILLONG, June 30: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday said the proposed four-laning of the Rilbong-Barik road has reached an advanced stage following extensive consultations with the Army, Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Public Works Department (PWD), district administration and other stakeholders, expressing confidence that the project, along with the proposed Umiam-Shillong four-lane corridor, would move closer to securing the Centre’s approval during his upcoming visit to New Delhi.
Sangma said he would meet Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during his Delhi visit to pursue road projects that remained under discussion following the Union minister’s recent visit to Shillong, particularly the proposed four-laning of the Rilbong-Barik stretch. He said detailed meetings with the Army, Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), NHIDCL, PWD, the district administration and other stakeholders had helped finalise the project plan after resolving technical issues at the micro level. “Everybody is in agreement,” he said, adding that the discussions were aimed at crystallising the final alignment and implementation strategy.
The Chief Minister said the Army had accepted the proposed alignment and the minutes of the meeting had been finalised as required by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He said the Union minister had made it clear that the project could proceed once the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Army was in place. “We worked very hard,” Sangma said, adding that the State government had completed the necessary groundwork and was now awaiting the Centre’s final clearance. “We have to wait for the final Green Signal from Delhi,” he said, while expressing confidence that the visit would help take the project “to the logical conclusion.”
On the proposed Umiam-Shillong four-lane project, Sangma said the plan envisages a combination of greenfield and brownfield stretches to ensure smoother traffic movement into Shillong. He said the government had reviewed the proposal in detail, but finalisation of the alignment required further work because of land availability issues, differing technical views between NHIDCL and the State PWD, and concerns raised by local residents. “We are getting positive response from Delhi,” he said, adding that a clearer picture was expected after the ongoing discussions with the Centre.
Meghalaya Moves to Fast-Track Rilbong-Barik
