Pallam Raju confident of meeting Dec 2013 deadline for completion of NH-37
Records a first for a Union Minister to take land route
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 12 2012: Striking a positive tone, Union MoS for defence MM Pallam Raju has assured that development works on National Highway 37 connecting Imphal and Jiribam sub-division would be completed by December next year.

After the Imphal-Dimapur route NH-2, the NH-37, which is currently being maintained by the BRO, is generally understood as the second lifeline of land-locked Manipur.

Along with Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and some of his Cabinet colleagues and BRO Director General, Pallam inspected the 160-Kms Imphal �Khongsang stretch of the Highway on Saturday.

Contrary to the earlier schedule of taking an aerial, the Union MoS for Defence agreed to the proposal of Chief Minister O Ibobi to inspect the work progress by taking the land route, said a reliable source.

Interestingly this is the first time that a Union Minister has taken the ImphalJiribam line by land.

Apart from the Chief Minister, Pallam Raju was accompanied by State Home Minister Gaikhangam, Works Minister Dr Kh Ratan, PHED Minister I Hemochandra, 3 Corp Commander Lt Dalbir Singh, DG of BRO Lt Gen Ravi Shankar and officials from the Works Department.

Pallam Raju with PHED Minister I Hemochandra and others

"It took around three hours to reach Khongsang from Imphal.

I'm impressed to see the development works taken up along the road," Raju told reporters at a brief media conference at Imphal airport on Saturday evening.

The BRO is all set to complete the development work of the 221-Km Imphal-Jiribam stretch of NH-37 by December next year, he said.

During the targeted period all bridges including two major ones located at Barak and Makru would also be repaired fittingly, said Raju , who is also the Chairman of Border Road Development Board (BRDB) .

With various tribal civil bodies resorting to frequent economic blockades on the National Highways, particularly NH-2, hordes of civil and transport bodies as well as the general public have been insisting upon the Government to improve the Imphal-Jiribam route since the last few years.

"During my last Manipur visit on April 11, I could not travel and inspect NH-37 and I have come and did my task today.

The State Chief Minister (Ibobi Singh) also asked me to do the needful to speed up development works of the route," said Raju.

BRO Director General Lt Gen Ravi Shankar said a new 25-Km long route connecting Longdipabram and Tamenglong district headquarters would be constructed for which land acquisition process would be taken up by he district administration and it would take around three years to construct the new road.

Raju said construction work of the 10-Km Indo-Myanmar border fencing at Moreh town is going on in fast pace.

On developmental front for Tamenglong district, the Union MoS minister said he has already written to the concerned ministries for expediting the bamboo and horticulture mission.

Newly inducted public health engineering department minister I Hemochandra Singh, who accompanied Raju , said it was a historic trip as the Union minister personally moved along the NH 37 stretch with a deep intention to develop the road.

"We are grateful to him ( Raju) and the chief minister (Ibobi Singh) for their extraordinary gesture to bring rapid developmental change.

Good things are going to happen soon.

This is in fact the vision of the Prime Minister, UPA chairperson and the concerned minister to develop the region," Hemochandra said.