SHILLONG, Nov 10 - An important road here has been left unattended for years by the defence authorities causing inconvenience to the people.
Years of neglect has created huge potholes on a less than one-km stretch of the Khlieh Iewduh road, posing danger to road users.
This road leads to Iewduh (Bara Bazaar) market, one of the busiest markets here.
A large number of vehicles from the rural areas take this road to transport their produces to the market. This road is also widely used by the local residents.
�This road is supposed to be maintained by us. We are waiting for funds to carry out the repairs,� a defence spokesperson said. The State PWD said that the defence authorities have left it unattended and does not even let the State government repair it by claiming it to be their property.
�There is no plan to hand over this road to the civil authorities,� the defence official said.
The road passes through two defence properties � the Military Hospital and residential quarters of the Army.
However, this road is being used by civilians for centuries.
Earlier, closure of a road to Police Bazar behind Anjalee Cinema by defence authorities had triggered public anger.
There have been allegations of encroachment by the Army in Lawshotun. The local MLA, Sanbor Shulai, had claimed that areas covered under the Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Area Act, 1990 have been encroached by the defence authorities.
Moreover, issues related to acquisition of land in an around Umroi cantonment has been an impediment to the expansion of the Umroi airport. There are similar issues in Upper Shillong, Madanriting where villagers are not allowed to pass through the cantonment areas as a result of which they have been forced to take a detour to reach their villages.
The root of the problem lies in the British era when most of the prime areas in Shillong were brought under the Cantonment Board.
At that time nobody has imagined that Iewduh market will one day grow into one of the largest and bustling markets of the State.
