SHILLONG, JUNE 10: Appealing to Bindas Syiem to call off her hunger strike protest, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong on Monday assured that the state government will take up with Centre for immediate sanctioning of over Rs 100 crore for reconstruction and widening of 20 km of road from Nongpoh up to Umden and for construction of 39 kms of road from Umden up to Lum-nongrim.

His assurance came after Bindas Syiem, a mother of three children and a resident of Umden, has entered the fifth day of her fasting to demand construction of the dilapidated Nongpoh-Umden to Sonapur 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 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 while assuring 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.

Further, 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.

Tynsong informed that a few days ago, he had also asked the district administration along with the executive engineer to meet Bindas Syiem in person and to explain about the status of this project but despite this, till this moment she is still continuing with her hunger strike protest.

Stating that the project had been conceptualized long time back, the deputy CM said the MLA and MDC of Nongpoh constituency and other leaders from Umden and Marmain area had also met him three-four times requesting the need to repair the road, which is in a deplorable condition.

“In fact in the last tenure of the MDA government-1, we have already been included in the priority list of the World Bank. However, due to the crossing of the amount earmarked by the World Bank, we could not implement this particular project,” he said.

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