BRO to upgrade 71 old bridges in Myanmar
DPR to be sent to MEA soon
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 22 2012:
In a major boost to India's 'Look East Policy', the 25 Border Road Task Force (BRTF) stationed in Imphal has geared up to repair 71 old bridges built along the 160-Km Tamu to Kaliwa highway in Myanmar.
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the new initiative would be sent very soon to the Ministry of External affairs by the unit.
Incidentally the highway also known as friendship road was built by the same task force in 1997 .
Upgradation of these bridges is a part of the packages announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his three-day goodwill visit to the neighboring country last month.
Another pact is the bus service from Imphal to Mandalay, a key commercial hub of Myanmar.
Following the PM's announcement, 25 BRTF officials moved to Myanmar and inspected all 71 bridges which were built during World War II and a DPR is currently being prepared to upgrade the Hamilton and bailey bridges from the Ministry of External Affairs, a highly placed source in the task force said.
The same unit had in 1997 constructed the 160-Km Tamu to Kaliwa and since then the task force had been maintaining it till a major portion of the stretch was handed over to Myanmar authorities recently.
"Of the total length of the route, the BRO handed over 132 Kms to Myanmar authorities and the rest 28 Kms is still maintained by the task force for which our men with machines are detailed at Khonta area in the neighboring country ." said the source.
"During construction and maintenance of the route, we engaged a large number of Myanmarese people as Casual Paid Labor (CPL)," added the source.
On being asked about the work progress of the 9.12-Km Indo-Myanmar border fencing along Manipur's Moreh town in Chandel district, the source said the work ,which is entirely executed by the 25 BRTF, began from May 2010 and so far 3.8 Kms have been completed.
"Though the work under Project Sewak is progressing, we are facing problems in transporting our stores/ materials upto to the end point of the length owing to absence of proper road," added the source.
Meanwhile the task force has sent a DPR for constructing 17-Km route along the boundary in Chandel district to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Manipur shares over a 350 Km border with Myanmar and the border fence work is taken up to thwart flow of illegal items like weapons and drugs between the two countries.
The Indo-Myanmar trade volume through Moreh, the focal point of the country's ambitious 'Look East Policy', runs up to around Rs 5 crore on a daily basis.
On April 10, MoS for Defence MM Pallam Raju accompanied by BRO Director General Lt Gen Ravi Shankar inspected the progress of border fencing and other road development activities undertaken by the task force at Moreh .
The Minister expressed satisfaction over the work progress.