IMPHAL, Jan 8 (Newmai News Network): Kh Ratankumar, Works Minsiter today said the delay in the development of roads in the state was due to financial crunch, bandh, blockade and technically unavoidable circumstances faced by the concerned department.
The Works minister was addressing a press conference held in his office chamber here. He said blocking roads by the public on the Government’s failure to take up repairing or development works of roads is illegal and appealed to the public to cooperate with the Government’s media coordinator to sort out any issue instead of protesting.
The minister further informed that the state Government has already submitted the DPR for development of major roads in the state to the concerned ministry including a proposal to include the same in the SPA. The approval for this is expected soon, he added. The Public Works Department is now repairing the National Highway- 37 (Imphal-Jiribam road) in full swing to make it a road having good riding quality before the ASEAN Car Rally to be flagged off from Kolkata on February 22, he said. The car rally will arrive in Imphal on February 26.
Referring to the road stretch from Waheng Leikai to oriental College along NH-37, he assured that the development work on the stretch will be completed by April this year, appealing the public to aware about the difficulties being faced by the Government which has hindered it to finish the work in time.
Ratankumar also announced that a huge amount of money has been sanctioned from different funds for the development of road stretches from Tupul to Kasom Khulen (98 km), Bishnupur to Nungba (89.52 km) and Kangpokpi to Tamei (7 km).
He further informed that Rs 277 crore has been sanctioned by Asian Development Bank for the development of Tupul to Kasom Khulen road strech, Rs 147.71 crore for the Bishnupur to Nungba (Old Cachar road) and another Rs 87crore for development of the Kangpokpi to Tamei road stretch by NEC.