Imphal, January 24 2009: Even though the SPF Cabinet has recommended to the Centre not to entrust the BRO with the responsibility of looking after the maintenance of the National Highways passing through the State, SE (Civil) FS Commander of 25 BRTF BP Mishra has despatched a missive to the Commissioner (Works) urging for handing over the task to the BRO at the earliest possible.

According to an official source, in a letter sent to Commissioner (Works), BP Mishra recalled the joint meeting with the Commander of BRO/ 25 BRTF in the office chamber of Chief Engineer of Works on January 12 to discuss various ongoing developmental works.

The letter also reminded about the assurance given on handing over the maintenance task of the National Highways to BRO with effect from January 1 this year after the Chief Engineer (Works) completes the repairing works taken up along the stretch of the Highway from Imphal to Maram by December last year.

Nevertheless, after the January 12 meeting held in the office chamber of the Chief Engineer (Works), when the BRO officials approached the Government in connection with handing over the task of maintenance of the National Highway stretch, it is learnt that the Government had not given any instructions to the PWD officials in this regard.

As for the BRO, all the required resources and manpower had been already kept ready for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the National Highway stretch from Imphal to Mao in accordance with the earlier assurance, the letter pointed out, while requesting for issuing necessary directives on handing over the task to the BRO at the earliest possible in due consideration of the short working season.

It may be recalled that following strong pressure on the Centre for handing over the task of maintenance of the National Highways passing through the State including National Highway 53 to the BRO, a Central gazette notification was issued on February 5 last year to effect the same.

Another point to be noted is that being one of the largest organisations under the direct control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, taking away a task already handed to it would become a question of prestige for the BRO.

The source further informed that works currently being taken up by the PWD along the National Highways are being executed from the fund sanctioned by the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways for the fiscal year 2003-04 .

However after this sanctioned amount, all the subsequent proposals submitted from the side of the State Works Department had been rejected by the Union Ministry on the ground that the task has been handed over to the BRO.

Disclosing that the Centre had also been approached to convert National Highway 39 into a four-laned one, but the funding pattern has not yet been finalised, the source informed that earlier it was proposed that four-laning of the road would be carried out under the funding pattern of the Bill Operating Transfer.

However, after the officials of the Works Dept ruled out the suitability of such a funding pattern in the context of the State, the Ministry is working on a suitable new funding pattern.

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