Land dispute, bandhs delay ICP work
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 28 2015:
Frequent bandhs, blockades and land dispute have been delaying the construction work of Integrated Check Post which is aimed at facilitating cross border trade between India and Myanmar through Moreh.
The Integrated Check Post is a project of around Rs 130 crore and it was taken up by the Land Ports Authority of India, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs under India's Look East Police (now Act East Policy).
Though the work construction started in August 2013, the project has achieved little progress.
Certain portions of the area identified for construction of the ICP was claimed by Myanmar as their territory and subsequent upon the claim, the construction work was suspended for five/six months.
It was in September last year that the ICP construction re-started at Khonomphai based on a new blueprint, said one engineer of LK&Sons which is the executing agency of the particular project.
Moreh was one of the 13 sites selected from across the country for construction of 13 ICPs.
The contract for constructing the ICP was allotted to LK&Sons by RITES Ltd under Land Ports Authority of India.
But the agency is unable to make rapid progress because of frequent bandhs and blockades in Manipur including Chandel, said the engineer.
At present, the construction work is confined to 31,700 square metres.
Out of this, 924 square metres has been identified for construction of a terminal building.
The ICP would have such facilities like warehouse, weighing machine, cargo office, scanner room, customs building, food testing lab and separate parking lots coming from Myanmar and India.
However, only the terminal building, cargo office and warehouse would be constructed in the first phase.
There is also a need for re-alignment of the road connecting the ICP to the Indo-Myanmar Border Gate No 2.Moreover, the bailey bridge of Moreh Gate No 2 would not be able to withstand the volume of traffic as and when the Indo-Myanmar border trade grows to its full potential, said the engineer.
A survey has been already conducted for construction of a new RCC bridge.
The new bridge would be connected with the highway bypass and it is being planned to link the bypass with the ICP.
The project was delayed because of frequent bandhs, blockades and land disputes, he added.