Meghalaya working with Centre for Rongjeng-Adokgre Road: CM

Shillong: For the past few years, the Meghalaya govt has been coordinating with the Union ministries of DoNER and finance to ensure completion of the crucial Rongjeng-Mangsang-Adokgre road, which connects North and East Garo Hills, CM Conrad K Sangma has said.He clarified that delays were caused by complexities in funding, as the previous govt had applied for the project under two different schemes of the DoNER ministry, leading to cancellation of one scheme.“The ministry of DoNER found that the road was applied for in two parts under two different schemes of the same ministry, and subsequently one of the schemes was cancelled,” Sangma explained during a CM Connect programme at Memilam village in North Garo Hills on Friday.The CM confirmed that the project has now received approval and will be funded by the World Bank.The 44 km stretch is considered a lifeline for nearly 50,000 people across the constituencies of Kharkutta and Rongjeng. While 22 km of the road from Rongjeng to beyond Nengkram is partially complete, large sections remain inaccessible.Originally sanctioned in 2017 for Rs 210 crore under NLCPR and NEC, the project suffered a setback when the North East Council (NEC) withdrew, taking away its earmarked Rs 88 crore, reducing the budget to just over Rs 123 crore. By then, most of the old road had already been dismantled.In related developments, the Centre last year sanctioned Rs 1,241 crore for the 63km Agia–Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura (AMPT) Road in West Garo Hills. Additionally, the Union ministry of road transport and highways approved Rs 951.27 crore for a new 29.03km Tura Bypass, designed to decongest the district headquarters.The bypass will connect NH-127B to NH-217 (formerly NH-51), the principal artery linking Guwahati to Dalu on the Bangladesh border. It will begin near Sanchonggre village on NH-127B and end at Jenggitchakgre village on NH-217, skirting the congested urban core of Tura town with a two-lane configuration and paved shoulders.