60 days after round the clock work to welcome PM, Sonia potholes decorate portions of NH-2
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 06, 2012:
The Chingmeirong-Koirengei section of NH-2 which was repaired and black-topped hurriedly to meet the deadline ahead of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visit to the State last year on December 3 has started breaking apart.
This section of the highway was repaired from the fund sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for 2010-11. Even as the Ministry had already sanctioned several crores of rupees, the road was never repaired in time.
It was only after the VVIPs' visit became imminent that the road was repaired hurriedly, in a half-baked manner it has now turned out.
Though it has been just two months since the road was repaired, the same road has started breaking apart causing serious inconveniences to traffic movement.
While the relevant authority gave no attention to the qualitative aspect of the road repairing work as they were only worried about meeting the deadline, it has now become clear that the thickness of bitumen layer was not even 2 inches.
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In their bid to highlight their achievements before the recent election, the SPF Government invited Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and inaugurated the Assembly complex, High Court complex, ISBT, City Convention Centre and a multipurpose auditorium of the Manipur Film Development Corporation on December 3 last year even though none of these projects were fully completed.
One official of the PWD National Highway Division, talking to The Sangai Express, informed that the contractor who repaired the Chingmeirong-Koirengei section of NH 2 would be asked to repair the same section again.
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, all repaired works should last for three years.
The official also conceded that the same highway section has started breaking apart though it was repaired just about two months back.
The bill for repairing the road has not been released fully to the contractor and in addition, the contractor's security deposit is also with the department, informed the official.