MAJAI:
Majai, a border village in East Khasi Hills and a trading point with Bangladesh, is a scene of neglect with pathetic and deplorable condition of the road.
Similar is the scene from Ichamati to Sohbar.
Through the Majai Land Customs Station mostly limestone besides boulders are exported to Bangladesh.
Despite the importance and strategic location of the place there is no road worth a name.
The trucks carrying limestone for export to Bangladesh are also not regulated thereby causing traffic jams.
Villagers complain that this has caused inconvenience to them, especially during emergency like pregnant women ad those in need of medical help.
When this reporter visited Majai, hundreds of vehicles were seen lined up to get into Bangladesh from Junglepara to Majai, the export point.
David Mawkon, secretary of Majai village dorbar, said that during the monsoon, the border road gets flooded.
“There are also many trucks going into Bangladesh which cause traffic jam and smaller vehicles cannot get through,” Mawkon said.
According to authorities on any given day around 400 trucks make their way into Bangladesh.
The secretary said that on many occasions, the villagers have put forward their grievances before the authorities concerned but they do not take it seriously.
Mawkon said that through Majai trade point with Bangladesh the state earns lots of revenue.
He urged the local MLA, Balajied Synrem and the PWD (Roads) to take up the matter of traffic jams along Majai-Lailad-Ichamati on a priority basis.
However, the villagers of Majai apart from the road woes are also facing power crisis.
Mawkon said that recently despite not having received power for more than 20 days their electricity bill was the same as any other month.
“We urge the MeECL to provide electricity to the village,” he said.
The secretary of Majai village said that the villagers duly paid their dues even as he added that there was no power supply due to heavy rainfall, landslides and other vagaries of nature.
He also said that the MeECL employees in the village are understaffed.
“As of now there is only the lineman. If he is not available there is no back up,” Mawkon said.
He also said that since Majai village is prosperous in export, parents do not seem enthusiastic about sending their children to school.
“Many send their children to work. Therefore we need awareness on the need of educating the children,” the secretary of the village said.