HC seeks NEC response over Borkhat-Sonapur road project

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 21, 2021

The Meghalaya High Court has asked the North Eastern Council (NEC) to inform on the steps taken in pursuant to the state government’s request for sanctioning of Rs 62.20 crore for construction of the Borkhat-Sonapur road along the Indo-Bangla border in East Jaintia Hills district.

Hearing the PIL on Tuesday, the division bench said, “We would therefore direct the advocate representing NEC to apprise us on the next date as to what steps it has taken pursuant on receipt of the aforesaid letter dated 3rd March, 2021, which also contains the undertaking of the Chief Secretary.”

The letter dated March 3 was issued by the state government’s Officer on Special Duty & Ex-officio Secretary to the NEC Secretary.

It appears that the Chief Secretary has issued an undertaking, which certifies that the Government of Meghalaya undertakes to fund the balance portion of Rs.88.33 crore (Phase-II) and to complete the whole project in case NERSDS is not continued during the 15th Finance Commission period.

In the said letter, a request has been made to NEC to consider sanctioning the amount of Rs.62.20 crore for the first phase of the road project at the earliest.

Earlier in its order passed on April 6, the bench had directed the state government to inform as to how they propose to restore the Borkhat-Sonapur road, which is in a pitiable condition, at the earliest, without waiting for funds from DoNER Ministry to arrive.

The advocate for the State of Meghalaya, however, was not in a position to give a ready response to this information which the Court had sought for.

“We, therefore, direct the learned advocate for the State to obtain necessary instructions on the concerned authority of the State Government in this regard and apprise this Court accordingly on the next date,” it said.