SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar informed, on March 14, that work for construction of the Rs 216-crore Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) project is under progress at the Meghalaya Transport Corporation land at Khyndailad.
Speaking to reporters he said, “There is no issue as everything is as per detailed project report.”
Reportedly, the infrastructure project will include a hotel in the multipurpose building, and is scheduled to be completed in two-and-a-half years.
A hiccup already in the way of this ambitious deadline is tenants, who have not yet agreed to vacate the premises. “I will have a review meeting on this tomorrow [Wednesday],” said Dhar, while also indicating that the tenants may have conditions.
“The condition is a good one, and we already agreed that, when the building is completed, we will accommodate them,” Dhar added.
Meanwhile, the MTC office has been shifted to Mawïong.
Prior to the assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and cabinet minister AL Hek had boasted of building a “Taj Mahal” with Rs 240 crore, the amount proposed by the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government for the construction of MTC project on 50,000 square feet of land at Khyndailad.
While historian of Mughal studies Sir J Sarkar’s figures, after accounting for inflation, would peg the cost of Taj Mahal’s construction upwards of Rs 6000 billion today, Dhar corrected the minister, stating that the project cost is Rs 216 crore not Rs 240 crore, and that it was a cabinet decision.
“The project is in progress. How can he say if it is right or wrong?” he said, adding “We will see after completion. You will see the whole Police Bazaar area changed into a modern world.”