SHILLONG, OCT 5: Hitting back at VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit over criticism following the death of an infant due to lack of road in Rambrai, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge PWD (Roads) Prestone Tynsong on Monday clarified that the village never had a road since statehood.

“This is in Rambrai. To briefly tell Bah Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit or those who are speaking against the incident, that village is one which never had a road. It is not that the condition of the road is bad, it is that there is no road at all,” Tynsong said.

He said the government has already sanctioned Rs 25 crore for road connectivity in the area.

“In the last few months, I have laid the foundation stone to start the road from the middle of Rambrai, as the plan is to connect it till Nongnah. We have sanctioned Rs 25 crore, preliminary work order has already been issued. The contractor will make necessary preparations and construction will start,” he said.

The Deputy CM said the project will benefit multiple unconnected habitations.

“I firmly hope this road will benefit 8-9 villages which have not had a road at all since we got statehood,” he added.

On road connectivity across the state, Tynsong said progress has been made since 2013 but more remains to be done.

“Some villages which were totally unconnected are now being connected and some villages which had roads but were more or less like jungle roads, that also we have done. I don’t say 100 percent has been done, more needs to be done,” he said.

“We are trying to reach out to those habitations where connectivity is not there at all. Our target is to make sure every habitation is connected in different parts of the state. You can’t just say when there is no road, you have to give road to 101 percent of villages,” he said.