Nongspung A Residents Demand Faster School Construction and Design Review

Shillong: Residents of Nongspung A in the Ri Bhoi district are fed up. They sent a formal complaint to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on October 17, demanding he fast-track a school construction project that has stalled for nearly seventeen months. The CM originally promised the new facility on May 22, 2025, during a visit alongside the local MLA and the Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner. He even signed a memorandum for the Education Department that day.

Progress stalled. Despite persistent outreach to officials, the project crawled forward. District School Education Officer T. Shangrang finally pushed the budget proposal to the Deputy Commissioner on October 13, 2026, who then forwarded it to the Chief Minister’s Office the following day. Now, the villagers want the brakes applied to the current design.

They allege that Ebrin, a civil engineer with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, designed the building without ever visiting the site. The plans ignore the physical boundaries of the school plot. Furthermore, the design ignores the Upper Primary section, focusing solely on Lower Primary classes. The village dorbar wants the government to demand a written explanation from the engineer and conduct a proper site assessment.

"Our objection is specifically to an unsuitable design that does not adequately account for the actual site conditions," the villagers noted in their complaint. They insist on a design overhaul that fits their land and serves both school sections. Residents want the village dorbar involved before the state signs off on any final plan, though they warn that corrections must not trigger additional project delays.

The village aims to become a Smart Model Village. A functional school remains the centerpiece of that plan. The villagers sent copies of their complaint to Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Jirang MLA Sosthenes Sohtun, Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed, Commissioner and Secretary of Education V. K. Mantri, Director of School Education Richa Kulkarni, and District School Education Officer T. Shangrang.