The national highway 37 is the life line of Manipur. But it has been in a pathetic condition for so many years. The Congress party which has ruled the state for 15 years and which has held power at the Center should take responsibility for it.
This was stated by M Asnikumar, vice-president BJP Manipur unit speaking at the Thanga mandal core group consultation meeting held at Keibul Lamjao today.
He said Okram Ibobi led Congress government spends huge sum of money under different head of accounts like ACA, SPA, NLCPR, CRF, NEC, 12th and 13th Finance Commission Award and state plan etc.
He continued that though funds are meant to upgrade and maintain the national highways, “But till today, roads like Imphal – Jiribam, Imphal – Dimapur, Imphal – Ukhrul, Imphal – Moreh, Pallel-Chandel Imphal-CCpur via Moirang etc are all in pathetic condition”, he lamented.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi realising the importance of Imphal Jiribam Highways announced that its upgradation has been included under the 100 days programme. The state government should have taken the opportunity to seek assistance from the Centre but it did nothing in this regard, he added.
The point is why and how the congress government in Manipur has failed to make any genuine effort to sustain or maintain such life line of Manipur over the last 14 and half years of governance in Manipur, he asked.
The present condition of highway in question simply demonstrates the reluctance as well as inability of Congress government to make the Imphal Jiribam highway an all-weather road, he said, adding that the worst part of the story is neither the Chief Minister nor the deputy Chief Minister had ever travelled on this important national highway over the last 14 years.
Clarifying doubt raised by the Transporters and Drivers’ Council on repairing of the said highway he said, “It would be worthwhile to place on record that BJP government at the Centre has already set up an empower committee on connectivity under DoNER with a focus on removing the communication and transportation bottleneck in the entire northeast region”.
He pointed out that BJP is committed to repair the high way and the Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways is revising the process regularly.
Source: Imphal Free Press
