165 km state highway in need of repairing: Govindas
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 28 2022:
Works minister Govindas Konthoujam said that the total length of the state highways in Manipur is 552.82 km and renovation for 163.10 km out of the total road length is required at present.
Replying to a question raised by Kh Joykisan Singh in Thursday's session of the assembly, he informed that the House that 79 roads will be widened and road diversions carried out in view of increasing traffic congestion and inconvenience raced during the time of emergency like movement of firefighting equipment/vehicle.
Clarifying on the Policy Cut Motion raised by Congress MLAs K Ranjit, K Meghachandra and Th Lokeshwar on government's inability to take up work programme from the year 2020 to 2022 and repair the roads particularly state highways, major district roads and IVRs, minister Govindas said that the government has identified 79 roads which need immediate widening and survey for the same conducted by respective DCs is nearing completion.
This is for the first phase and second phase too is also on the pipeline and planning for the same has begun, he said, adding that relevant Union government authority will be approached for four-lane widening of Ukhrul and Kamjong roads and efforts are on to complete construction of Ukhrul circuit house and PWD guest house.
Regarding cancellation of work order worth nearly Rs 900 crore for which administrative approval had already been sanctioned, the works minister clarified that government did not want to increase liability and hence cancelled the work orders.
Nevertheless, the minister informed the House that the government is committed to providing good roads and accordingly prepared a list of roads to be developed constituency-wise and urged MLAs to rectify the list if want to add or remove.
Replying to another question raised by MLA Ram Muivah, the minister said that the construction of Imphal-Ukhrul (NH-202) will be completed by June 2023 and compensation to families affected by widening of the road especially in Litan Sareikhong sector is yet to be distributed.