‘Work on expansion of Shillong Airport to start soon’
Shillong, Apr 24: Deputy chief minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar has denied outright allegations of financial irregularities in redevelopment of Laitumkhrah Municipal Market in the city.
The minister’s reply was in response to a media query on RTI activist’s Napoleon S Mawphniang petition to governor CH Vijayashankar and chief minister Conrad K Sangma seeking a CBI inquiry into alleged irregularities in the project.
“The fact is that there are no such financial irregularities,” Dhar told reporters on Thursday, ruling out any financial irregularities in the under-construction project.
He also challenged the RTI activist, saying, “If somebody is asking for (information through) RTI, they have to reply to him. If he finds fault, he can go further.”
On the alleged cost escalation as alleged by the RTI activist as per his findings, Dhar said no official complaint has been received by him on the matter.
Besides financial irregularities, the RTI activist alleged procedural violations, conflict of interest, and environmental non-compliance of the project.
Terming it a “disturbing pattern of corruption and mismanagement”, he said the project already suffered 36.8% cost escalation and four-year delay.
He called for an assessment of structural safety of the project by an expert committee and recovery of excess payments made to the contractors.
He also quoted RTI findings to claim that the principal contractor, M/s Collinstar Sawkmie, is the father of sports minister Shakliar Warjri.
First awarded in April 2020 for Rs 25.73 crore, the project went through multiple revisions and “adjustments”, leading the cost up escalated to Rs 35.21 crore, he said.
“The site was handed over to the contractor only in September 2021, a delay of 17 months. It was originally meant to be completed years ago,” the RTI activist said.
He also raised the involvement of M/s Shrolenson Marbaniang, linked to an ex-chairman of Meghalaya Government Construction Corporation, revealing political connections being leveraged to secure and manipulate government contracts.
Meanwhile, the deputy chief minister, also in-charge Transport informed that work will start very soon for long-awaited expansion of Shillong Airport.
“The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a tender notice and work will start very soon. We are hopeful that by the end of 2026, big aircraft will be landing at Shillong Airport,” Dhar told reporters.
The scope of the expansion includes a 571-metre extension of the existing runway, thereby, bringing the total length to 2,400 metres. This will also facilitate the operation of A-320 type aircraft in Shillong.
In addition, the project involves the expansion of the terminal building and apron, along with various associated infrastructure works.
As per the tender notice, the estimated cost of the mega project is Rs 119.44 crore, and the expected completion period is 18 months, inclusive of a three-month window for monsoons.
