IMPHAL, Jul 29: Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan has assured that there would be no shortage of fund for development of road infrastructure in Manipur.
Speaking to media persons at Hotel Classic Grande, Chingmeirong today, Pon stated that 1680 Kms of National Highways pass through Manipur.
These National Highways would be divided into three sections for development with PWD (445 Kms), NHIDCL (831 Kms) and BRO (421 Kms) as implementing agencies.
Tamenglong to Peren road via Longdi Pabram has been declared in-principle as a National Highway and NHIDCL is preparing a DPR for its construction.
NHIDCL is preparing another DPR for Shangshak-Nampisha section which has been already included under Bharat Mala scheme, Pon Radhakrishnan said.
He claimed that construction of 724 Kms of National Highways is going on in Manipur at the cost of Rs 1431 crore.
PWD is constructing 265 Kms of National Highway at the cost of Rs 954 crore while NHIDCL is constructing 459 Kms at the cost of Rs 477 crore.
NHIDCL has already started working on Imphal-Jiribam highway with the sanctioned amount of Rs 162 crore. The same work is set for completion by March, 2018.
Barak and Makru bridges which are being constructed with RCC are set for completion by March 2020, Pon said while appealing to the State Government to ensure that no vehicles heavier than 24 tonnes cross the existing Barak and Makru bridges.
Imphal-Mao section of NH 2 would expanded to two lanes with paved shoulders at the cost of Rs 451.22 crore.
A 65 Km long section of Imphal-Moreh highway would be developed as two/four lane highway under a Rs 1630.29 crore project which is funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Informing that the same project has been already approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Pon urged the State Government to complete the land acquisition process by October this year.
Churachandpur-Tuivai Road which is 162 Kms in length would be constructed at the cost of Rs 168 crore and the same work is targeted for completion by March 2018.
Although Rs 26 crore was already allocated to the State of Manipur from Central Road Fund (CRF) for 2017-18, Rs 51 crore would be sanctioned taking into consideration the State Government’s proposal to allocate additional Rs 25 crore.
Another Rs 500 crore would be sanctioned within two months for construction of 40 Kms long Tamenglong-Khongsang Road.
The State Government’s proposal to construct four foot-bridges at Imphal is quite reasonable and the same would be sanctioned soon, Pon Radhakrishnan assured.
In the first phase, construction of two foot-bridges has already started and they would be completed within six months.
Necessary fund for repairing and improvement of four bridges which were not included in the original estimate would be sanctioned soon.
Before the press meet, Pon Radhakrishnan went up to K Sinam and made a direct assessment of the existing condition of Imphal-Jiribam highway.
His entourage included NHIDCL executive director Sanjib Malick, general manager Sunil Kumar and deputy general manager AK Jha.
Later, he held a review meeting about the National Highways of Manipur with officials of NHIDCL and PWD at the same hotel.
Source: The Sangai Express
