SHILLONG, Sept 15: The state government has sanctioned Rs 4.42 crore for taking up major repairing of the road from Garobadha to Dalu via Ampati-Zikzak-Mahendraganj and Purakhasia even as a proposal will be submitted to the Centre for converting the same to a national highway.

“We are giving special attention to this road. That is why from the state fund we have already sanctioned Rs 4.42 crore and will also accord additional sanction of Rs 5.29 crore for taking up major repairing of this very important road,” Deputy Chief Minister in-charge PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong told the Assembly.

“We also have intention to send a proposal to the Government of Inda if this stretch of road can be converted into a national highway as it is a very important road in the plain belt area,” he said while replying to a query raised by Salmanpara legislator Winnerson D Sangma.

The project cost of the 98 kilometers road was Rs 250 crore. It was completed in 2018.

He said the agreement with the contractor concerned for maintenance of the road has expired in 2019.

Tynsong informed that the cause for damages of roads is mainly due to the plying of heavy loaded trucks carrying boulders for export to Bangladesh. Maximum damage has occurred throughout the left side of the road in almost all the stretches.

When Winnerson expressed concern over the absence of weigh bridges to check overloaded trucks and sought to know how the government is monitoring the plying of such trucks, the deputy chief minister said that he requires notice as information is not available with him.

Rangsakona legislator Zenith Sangma said there is uncontrolled plying of overloaded trucks and it was found that such trucks are carrying over 42-48 metric tonnes despite the permissible limit being only 12 metric tonnes.

Zenith further pointed out that many lives were lost due to the reckless driving of such trucks while urging the government to take measures to address these issues related to the road.

To this, Tynsong said there are different categories of weighing limit for trucks. He also assured that the department will ask the technical team to assess the reasons leading to the damage of this road.

“We will also make sure that safety of this particular road is to the maximum and we will enforce the prescribed norms and acts in place,” he added.