Meghalaya police today arrested two Joint Action Committee (JAC)
actvists ahead of their four night road blockade, which started off this
evening following the alignment of four-laning road project in the
National Highway 40 connecting Guwahati and Shillong in State s Ri Bhoi
District. The JAC has intensified its stir to pressurise the state
government to give up its plan to construct the highway from the
existing road at Umsning. The JAC wanted that the construction of
the four-lane Gauhati-Shillong road through an identified Umsning
by-pass. The blockade which started off at 1900 hours would be
effective on October 13, 14, 19 and 20 besides, 12-hour Ri-Bhoi district
bandh from 5 am on October 21. The state police arrested JAC
leaders - Eddie Kharnabi and David Kharnaior - from their respective
residences at Umsning based on FIRs filed against the JAC for arsons and
stone pelting on vehicles during their last month road blockade.
We arrested them based on FIR filed against by certain indivuals for
damaging their vehicles by stone pelting and burning of vehicles,
Superintendent of Police Claudia Lyngwa told UNI. In order to
prevent breakdown of law and order in the district, Ms Lyngwa said
elaborate security arrangment have been made to maintain law and order.
We have got additional forces to ensure that there is no
breakdown of law and order, she added. The district
admnistration has imposed secction 144 CrPC in the entire district
prohibiting obstruction of vehicular movement along the National Highway
-40. Meanwhile, Public Works Department Minister HDR Lyngdoh
maintianed that the government would go by the unanimous decision taken
by the Assembly in the last budget session to go ahead with the
four-laning work along the existing road at Umsning. NH-40
connects the Meghalaya capital with Guwahati and extends to Jowai in
Jaintia Hills and Barak valley up to Tripura and Mizoram thorough
National Highway-44. The Central Government has sanctioned Rs 536
crore for four- laning a 61.80 km stretch of this highway from Jorabat
to Barapani. Out of the budget, Rs 167 crore has already been paid as
land compensation. Work began this year and was moving smoothly till it
reached Umsning in Ri-Bhoi district. Meanwhile, the JAC has
decided not tow bow down to government pressure following the arrest of
its leaders. We will go ahead with our stir till the government
fulfill our demand despite the arrest of our two leaders, JAC Chairman
Donkupar Sumer said. The JAC also alleged that the state
government s decision for construction of four-lane road along the
existing highway had been influenced by some petrol pump owners who have
been lobbying with concerned minister. The JAC also accused
politicians who own commercial buildings and other properties along the
existing highway, of throwing their weight behind the government s
decision in order to claim compensation if their buildings and other
structures were destroyed.