SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government is mulling to upgrade the Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura (AMPT) road in Garo Hills region of the state into a national highway.
This was informed by Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday (September 21) in the state assembly.
“We want to convert the AMPT road to the national highway, if the government of India agrees. We will take up the matter with the ministry of road transport,” said Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong.
Tynsong made this statement while responding to a question by TMC MLA from Rajabala constituency in Meghalaya Dr Mizanur Rahman Kazi in the state assembly.
Tynsong said that the Meghalaya PWD (roads) department has taken several measures to improve the condition of the AMPT road in Garo Hills.
Also read: Meghalaya: KSU to stage sit-in protest over poor road conditions on Sept 25
Meanwhile, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) – East Jaintia Hills district unit will stage a sit-in protest on September 25 at the district headquarters in Khliehriat, East Jaiñtia Hills, to protest the government’s and the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) alleged neglect of NH-6 in Meghalaya.
The poor condition of NH-6 has caused significant hardship for the local people and the state as a whole.
This is the second phase of the KSU’s protest, as they believe that NHAI and the Meghalaya government have not responded quickly or urgently enough to their initial protest on August 8.
During the August 8 protest, the NHAI’s Manager Technical assured the union that NH-6 in the district would be repaired within six weeks.
However, as of now, no substantial actions have been taken.
The KSU is appealing to citizens from neighbouring states like Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur, who also benefit from the National Highway, to cooperate and support their cause.