SHILLONG : Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong on Monday hit back at VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit over criticism following the death of an infant allegedly linked to the lack of road connectivity in Rambrai.
Clarifying the situation, Tynsong said the village in question had never had a road since Meghalaya attained statehood, stressing that the issue was not a bad or damaged road but the complete absence of road connectivity.
“This is in Rambrai. To briefly tell Bah Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit or those who are speaking against the incident, that village is one which never had a road. It is not that the condition of the road is bad, it is that there is no road at all,” Tynsong said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government has already sanctioned Rs 25 crore for improving road connectivity in the area.
He said he had recently laid the foundation stone for the road project, which is planned to connect the middle of Rambrai to Nongnah. According to Tynsong, a preliminary work order has already been issued and the contractor will begin preparations before construction starts.
“In the last few months, I have laid the foundation stone to start the road from the middle of Rambrai, as the plan is to connect it till Nongnah. We have sanctioned Rs 25 crore, preliminary work order has already been issued. The contractor will make necessary preparations and construction will start,” he said.
Tynsong said the project is expected to benefit several habitations that have remained without road connectivity.
“I firmly hope this road will benefit 8-9 villages which have not had a road at all since we got statehood,” he added.
Addressing the broader issue of road connectivity in Meghalaya, Tynsong said considerable progress has been made since 2013, although several areas still require attention.
“Some villages which were totally unconnected are now being connected and some villages which had roads but were more or less like jungle roads, that also we have done. I don’t say 100 percent has been done, more needs to be done,” he said.
Tynsong said the government’s objective is to extend connectivity to habitations that remain completely cut off by road.
“We are trying to reach out to those habitations where connectivity is not there at all. Our target is to make sure every habitation is connected in different parts of the state. You can’t just say when there is no road, you have to give road to 101 percent of villages,” he said.