Union MoS Palam Raju to study NH-37 work
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 07 2012:
Progress of controversy-riddled road development works on the Imphal-Jiribam section of National Highway 37 (53), being undertaken by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), would be studied by the Union Minister of State for Defence Palam Raju.
according to an informed source, visit of the central leader assumes great significance as transporters plying on the second lifeline of this landlocked State have been accusing BRO authorities of lackadaisical approach in completing the task.
As per tentative schedule, the union Minister would be arriving here on April 10 and after visiting Moreh on the same day return to the State capital where he would hold wide ranging discussions with the Governor as well as the Minister.
Palam Raju is likely to leave for Shanti Khunou village along the NH-37 in a chopper to personally take stock and review progress of the ongoing road development works.
He will leave for New Delhi after completing the road inspection visit.
On the otherhand, members of the High Level Monitoring Committee, constituted by the Gauhati High Court, will also assess progress of NH-37 road development work on April 14 .
The Committee was specifically set up for periodical scrutiny of the road development work.
Based on its previous inspection visit, the Committee had reported engagement of only about 200 labourers for the highway stretch.
It is worth mentioning that the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had voiced discontentment on the BRO activities during his last inspection visit consequently leading to the replacement of the BRO commander after the Minister's return to the national capital.
Similarly, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had complained of BRO incompetency to the Union Defence Minister even though the latter claimed that adequate man-power is being engaged by the agency in the road development work.
With the highway considered invaluable to the people of Manipur, various NGOs had been constantly keeping a close watch of the BRO activities while the Information Centre for Hills Areas (ICHAM) is assessing the progress through spot visits on a monthly basis.