Newmai News Network Shillong | June 19 Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma has assured to provide proper road connectivity to a number of villages lying along the international border with Bangladesh besides addressing other issues raised by them. Conrad had made this assurance on Tuesday to a delegation of residents of these villages led by Social Welfare Minister, Kyrmen Shylla who represents Khliehriat in the Assembly. The villagers hailing from Hingaria, Huroi, Lahaleiñ and Lejri village under Sutnga-Saipung Assembly constituency in East Jaintia Hills (EJH) district have sought the personal intervention of the Chief Minister to ensure that their long pending demands are fulfilled. At present, these villages are connected by a muddy road of about 60 km from Sonapur, a village along the national highway-44, and around 185 km from Shillong, the state capital. In view of the bad road connectivity in the area, over 5,000 residents of these villages have to depend on Bangladesh for healthcare and other services. The delegation demanded the government to immediately take up metalling and blacktopping of the Borkhat-Sonapur road without further delay and setting up of a primary health centre in any of the four villages besides supply of drinking water and electricity. They said that in the absence of such facilities in the area, residents are forced to take patients illegally to a nearest health centre in Bangladesh by crossing the porous border for the sake of saving lives. After meeting the Chief Minister, a young representative of the villages Kynjaimon Amse said that the nearest primary health centre is located at Umkiang village which is along the national highway-44. He said it takes residents of the four villages five hours to reach the PHC and market at Umkiang village but only 10 minutes walk to Bangladesh. “We have been living at the mercy of Bangladesh for many years. We know it is illegal, but the people have no option and often rush to Bangladesh to meet their medical needs. Many precious lives have been lost due to the absence of proper medical care and due to the long distance to the nearest PHC,” Amse said. Expressing concern that the border fencing which has started in the border areas, he said that it will become more problematic to the people. “Hence, we want the government to start repairing this road,” he said. He said the delegation reminded the Chief Minister about the NEC-funded Rymbai-Borkhat-Jalalpur road about Rs 97 crore which has been pending since 2011 till date. Amse informed that the chief minister has assured the delegation that the matter will be taken up with the concerned department and necessary action will be taken. “The Chief Minister has spoken to officials of the state PWD and NEC officials and a meeting between them would be held in the next few weeks,” Amse said. Last year, the residents of Huroi village had also decided to boycott February-27 Assembly elections in protest against the Meghalaya government.
