The tales of two roads
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: January 30 2013 -

It was more than mere a coincidence. On a day while a massive protest rally was being carried out by hundreds of people at Saikul under Sadar Hills in Senapati district demanding black-topping of Imphal-Saikul road, the newly tarred road along Keishamthong Hodam Leirak in Imphal West district started peeling off much to the surprise and anger of the local residents.

This is the reality of road connectivity in Manipur, a landlocked and underdeveloped State.

With 90 percent of the total geographical area of the State being hilly terrain, the available transport infrastructure is essential road-based.

So, the development of existing road infrastructure and network is of paramount importance for ensuring not just connectivity and progress of the State but also for the administration to reach out to isolated people living in far flung areas.

In fact, for a land-locked state like Manipur, successful implementation of any developmental project or scheme solely depends on enhanced road connectivity.

Moreover, in the absence of any other viable mode of transports, development of a well-knit road network, which invariably includes proper maintenance and improvement of the existing road condition, assumes greater significance for the development of Manipur.

That is the reason why road connectivity is considered to be the backbone for socio-economic development of the State.

However, what we see on the ground is totally different. Even though the Government claims to spend huge amount of money on improvement of the existing road network, everywhere we look around the condition of the roads in Manipur is so deplorable from total absence of proper maintenance and regular upkeep.

While it is equally disheartening to know that the people of Sadar Hills have to hit the street to demand for black-topping of Imphal-Saikul Road, which was established way back in 1969 but has remained neglected by the State Government for the last 43 years, a newly tarred road at Keishamthong Hodam Leikai has started peeling off within few days of black-topping, thus giving a new dimension to the maintenance of roads by the concerned department of the State Government.

The two incidents have shown clearly how the funds supposedly provided for improvement of road connectivity in the land-locked State are actually being utilized or misutilized in Manipur at the cost of tax-payers' money.

The State Government and more particularly, the department concerned should be made answerable to this.

If the maintenance of just a 30-km long stretch Imphal-Saikul road has to wait for more than 40 years and a newly tarred road stretching not even 1 km is to start peeling off within few days of black-topping, then, how are we supposed to assume that road connectivity is the backbone for socio-economic development of Manipuri society?

Well, it is also more than a mere coincidence that a backbone-less Manipuri society has also become a crippled one, thanks to an inactive Government and its system of governance that thrives on 'percentage cut' from any developmental work.