Rs 19 Cr marked for infrastructure development of new districts: PWD CE
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, April 19 2018: A total of Rs 19 crore has been earmarked from the Budget Estimate 2017-18 for Public Administrative Building for development of infrastructure of the seven new districts, including Rs 5 crore each for Kakching, Kamjong and Noney and Rs 1 crore each for Tengnoupal, Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl.

This was stated by Public Works Department Chief Engineer Kh Temba Singh during the afternoon session of the series of press conference organised by DIPR at Moirangkhom today.

The State Public Works Department began as a subdivision of the CPWD (whose headquarters was at Shillong) in 1891 and was upgraded to a Division office in 1949.The State PWD, being the premier agency of the Government executes, operates all the works regarding new projects/constructions and maintenance of roads and bridges in the State of Manipur, except roads under the jurisdiction of BRO, NHIDCL and Rural Engineering Department, RED.

The Chief Engineer highlighted that today, most of the Inter Village Roads are under the jurisdiction of RED, although a few are still under the PWD.

The total length of roads in the State, according to the Basic Road Statistics of India by the end of March 2016, including National Highways, NEC, BRTF, PMGSY and Local Governing Body Roads, is 20002.645 km.

Construction of the 103.02 km long Imphal-Kangchup-Tamenglong road under the SASEC Road Connectivity Improvement Program under the funding of the Asian Development Bank, is already underway, he said.

Five works/projects have been taken up under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources as on-going work.

The Ministry of DoNER has also sanctioned the improvement of Koirengei to Sekmai Road i/e bridge approach from Sangakpham to Salanthong, with an approved cost of Rs 20.67 crore during 2017-18.Under the Central Road Fund, 13 works are currently underway and six other works have also been sanctioned by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways during 2017-18.Two works, including connecting Mao-Tadubi to Nagaland and Churachandpur to Mizoram, are also in progress under the Inter State Connectivity Scheme.

The Chief Engineer also said that under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, 10 works (which include three road works and seven bridges) have been taken up.

Seven works are also currently being carried out under the NEC funds.

Under the North Eastern State Road Investment Program, two roads (Tupul to Bishnupur and Thoubal to Kasom Khullen) are in progress.

The total length of National Highways in the State is 1741.795 km, out ofwhich the length under the PWD is just552.815km and the length under the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd is 608.780 km and the remaining 580.200 km is underthe BRO, the CE explained.

Along the Imphal-Jiribam Highway, the Department has jurisdiction over the Imphal to Oriental College gate stretch only.

At the same time, the Department also takes up construction and improvement of Government quarters under the Rental Housing and the budget provision for 2017-18 is Rs 8 crore.

The Chief Engineer also said that the Department also plays an important role in construction of infrastructure in the tourism sector.

He said that the Department is also involved in the development of Tourist Resort at Sendra, repairing of the earthquake affected Ima Keithels, development of Shri Shri Govindaji temple, construction of Judicial Academy at Pangei and JNIMS as Deposit Works.

Concerned with the issue of quality control in executed works, the Department has set field labs at work sites of major works.

Construction of a laboratory at the PWD campus is also under process, he said.The press conference, moderated by Director IPR Heisnam Balkrisna Singh, was also attended by Chief Engineer Building, N Noren Singh, Addl Chief Engineer III, T Rabindrakumar Singh, Additional CE-II, N Subhas and SE (NH Circle) Y Joykumar Singh.

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