RED Addl CE on damage control exercise
'Phase I and II works to be completed soon'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 30 2022:
Additional Chief Engineer of Rural Engineering Department Kh Rajen has said that the Government is working to complete all incomplete projects under Phase I and II of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) by March next year.
Addressing the media at his office today, Rajen continued that the projects under PMGSY have to be completed within 18 months in hill districts and 12 months in valley areas as per the norm.
He further said that altogether there are 312 incomplete projects under Phase I and II of PMGSY including 122 road construction projects measuring 1061 kilometres and 94 bridge projects.
On the allegations being raised by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee on implementation of PMGSY, the Additional Chief Engineer maintained that Manipur State Rural Roads Development Agency (MSRRDA) is the implementing agency of PMGSY in Manipur.
He also said that a team of Rural Engineering Department led by its Chief Engineer has inspected two PMGSY projects being taken up in Noney recently.
Maintaining that the sanction for the construction of Noney to Nungnang road stretch project was taken under package number 7123 and 7124 of Phase I of PMGSY, Rajen stated that the phase I of the project is for hill cutting, construction of culverts and erection of protection walls.
He further stated that another sanction was taken for the same road stretch under package number 7241 for black topping and some other purposes after the completion of the earlier project.
Special contractor Th Nodiacliand is the contractor of the project and the work is ongoing, he added.
Rajen continued that Nungnang is a thinly populated village in Noney and as such the Central Government suggested keeping the road stretch at WBM (water bound macadam) stage earlier.
In hill districts, projects are only implemented in villages which have a population of 250 or more as per the Census report of 2001, Rajen informed.
The Centre accepted the proposal to initiate black topping work after the State submitted that the population of Nungnang village has increased in the 2011 Census report and considering the rainfall pattern in hill districts.
He further stated that the WBM road is being covered by thin bitumen measuring 2 centimetre to prevent it from being washed away by rainwater.
Some people raised a complaint that the bitumen of the road stretch is too thin but the sanction was given as per the guidelines of the Low Volume Traffic of the Government, he clarified.
The Additional Chief Engineer further clarified that most of the road projects in hill districts couldn't be completed on time as obstructions come in many forms.
Saying that PMGSY projects are being implemented in Manipur properly, he added that the Centre will soon give another sanction to construct 812.5 km of road under Phase III of PMGSY in Manipur with a vision to complete it by March 2025.He maintained the State will soon prepare a DPR for Phase III of PMGSY which will mostly deal in widening and upgrading of road stretches.
Other top ranking officials of the department also took part in the press briefing.
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