Road development under ADB Work to cover 93.1 kms
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 16 2011:
Development work of a road covering a length 93.1 Kms will be initiated within the current plan period with funding from Asian Development Bank (ADB) .
An official source in Public Works Department informed that the road connecting Tupul to Kasom Khullen via Bishnupur, Toubul, Mayang Imphal and Thoubal will cover a distance of 123 Kms as per earlier estimates.
However, as it needs environmental clearance for the 30 Kms long stretch from Bishnupur to Toubul which passes through Loktak Lake, the road project will be held up for sometime.
Under ADB's Road Infrastructure Development Programme, highways would be developed in all the eight North Eastern States including Sikkim after categorising the Highways as Trans I, Trans II and Trans III .
Though the road project in Manipur should be taken up under Trans II, the Trans I programme was not executed in time.
As such, it is most likely that all the three categories would be taken up together at a time.
For development of roads under ADB, the State of Nagaland put up proposals for three mega projects.
But all the three projects have been rejected because two roads are under contention with Assam and Nagaland while the third is embroiled in certain controversies on its status of being a State highway.
As the 30 Kms long stretch from Toubul to Mayang Imphal would be delayed for sometime, the estimated cost of the project will be re-assessed.
According to the earlier estimate, it was expected that the project would cost around Rs 320 crores.
The Government of India and the ADB are in the process of signing the loan deal.
It is reported that the process would be finalised very soon.
For implementing the road project successfully, the State Government is making arrangements to send six officials of PWD to Guwahati for necessary training.
As it is understood that making the road would entail acquisition of private lands, the Government of Manipur has decided to produce the amount required for acquisition of land.