GUWAHATI: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday, September 7, laid the foundation stones for five major infrastructure projects worth ₹1,010.95 crore during his maiden visit to Meghalaya.
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The projects cover drinking water supply, road connectivity, healthcare and power infrastructure and are aimed at strengthening essential services and connectivity across the state.
The largest project is Phase II of the New Shillong Water Supply Scheme, with an estimated cost of ₹850.58 crore. The project will provide drinking water to New Shillong City and 32 adjoining rural habitations, covering more than 4.34 lakh people across around 86,900 households. It will also introduce smart metering and volumetric billing for large-scale water management.
A ₹21.86-crore bridge over the Umngot River will connect the Jongksha-Kharang stretch and provide direct access to 14 villages in Mawkynrew Block. The 110-metre bridge is expected to benefit more than 28,000 residents.
Another project is the ₹56.01-crore Umsen-Barapathar All-Weather Corridor. The 13.5-km road will improve connectivity across 21 habitations and strengthen the route linking Meghalaya with Assam.
The foundation was also laid for a 30-bedded Integrated AYUSH Facility at Shillong Civil Hospital at a cost of ₹10 crore. The facility will provide services including Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Yoga and Panchakarma, besides inpatient rehabilitation.
The fifth project is a ₹72.5-crore power infrastructure package under PM DevINE. It includes a 2×50 MVA, 132/33 kV substation at Mawkhanu and a 132 kV double-circuit transmission line from Saisiej, aimed at improving power supply for the expansion of New Shillong City.
The five projects together represent an investment of ₹1,010.95 crore in key infrastructure sectors across Meghalaya.