JAC warns against shifting construction of bridge
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 26 2019:
Joint Action Committee Against Shifting of Loushakhong bridge has warned against shifting of the construction of RCC bridge in Loushakhong under Lamlai AC.
Speaking to media persons at Loushakhong today, co-convenor of the JAC Khoisnam Sanjoy claimed that officials of the department concerned laid the foundation stone of the RCC bridge under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Development and under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) batch-II, 2017-18.He alleged that initially, SRRDA Additional Chief engineer Th Shyamsunder issued a notice on April 13, 2015 to construct the RCC bridge at Loushakhong under Manipur State Rural Development Agency (MSRDA) and as part of PMGSY.
Later, the Ministry of Rural Development provided clearance to the list of developmental projects of Manipur for PMGSY batch-II, 2017-18 on December 29, in which the construction of RCC bridge in Loushakhong was also included, he alleged.
Following this, the Rural Engineering Department (RED)/ MSRDA issued a notification inviting tender for several developmental projects to be taken up in the State, on July 19, 2018, including RCC bridge in Loushakhong.
The co-convenor went on to alleged that MSRDA officials and a special contractor laid the foundation stone of the RCC bridge.
He went on to claim that no physical work were taken up before and after laying the foundation stone while adding that the bridge will be connecting two areas namely Loushakhong and Heikak Mapal.
Following the inaction of the authorities concerned, people of Loushakhong and its surrounding areas submitted representations to the concerned authorities of the State and to the Central authorities as well.
Amidst the pressure of the people to the authorities concerned, the RCC bridge was being shifted to a location in Sekta where MLA of Lamlai AC had reportedly laid the foundation stone on May 16 this year, the co-convenor claimed.
Cautioning that the bridge cannot be shifted to a new location, the JAC said that it will be compelled to take up stringent modes of agitation if the bridge is not constructed to its proposed site.