Highway work likely to be delayed by over one year
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 21 2022:
Construction of Yaingangpokpi- Finch Corner section of Imphal-Ukhrul-Jessami road (NH 202) is likely to be delayed by over one year from the stipulated time.
Well placed sources said that the 14.07 Kms long section is being constructed in EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) mode with the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) as the implementing agency.
According to the sources, Yaingangpokpi-Finch Corner section would be expanded from the existing width and this would be followed by improvement of the same section.
After improvement, the section would be constructed with ROW (Right of Way) of 12 metres.
The existing ROW is just 5.5 metres.
The total project cost of the 14.07 Kms long highway section is Rs 135.63 crore.
After issuing Notice Inviting Tender (NIT), NHIDCL allocated the construction work to M/S Varaha Infra Limited.
NHIDCL had issued letter of acceptance to the M/S Varaha Infra Limited on March 28, 2020.As per the contract, the date of start was July 1, 2020 and the date of completion was June 30, 2022 .
By now, the road construction work is running behind the scheduled time by almost six months.
Even though NHIDCL which is a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is the implementing agency, no significant progress can be seen in the road construction work so far, said the sources.
Necessary or adequate machinery and manpower could not be seen deployed and it appears that the project is not monitored properly, according to the sources.
NHIDCL often cites land acquisition problem as one fundamental factor for delay in road construction projects.
But the road construction work has not yet reached the desirable stage even on those portions where the land acquisition process was already completed when the same work began.
Even though most of the road construction projects implemented by NHIDCL are funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the State Government or the State PWD ought to supervise these projects as Manipur is the beneficiary State, said the sources.
Except for review meetings held from time to time, the State Government is not making any direct assessment of the projects being implemented by NHIDCL in the State,
the sources added.