Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) inspects NH-37, sees only 200 labourers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 20 2011: The Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) constituted as per a ruling of the Gauhati High Court inspected the Imphal-Jiribam highway (NH-37) for the second time.

Contrary to claims put up by the BRO, the team saw only 200 labourers working on the highway.

The JMC headed by Transport Director BK Sharma as convenor is comprised of Senior Advocate L Shyamkumar, DIG S Manglemjao and officials of PWD, BRO, TDC and Railways.

After inspecting the development work of the highway in August this year, the committee made another round of inspection on December 18 and 19 .

In August, around 156 labourers were seen working on the highway but this time around 200 labourers were seen working on the highway which meant a marginal increase in the workforce.

Even though December 18 was Sunday, labourers were seen working on the highway.

Incidentally, BRO submitted a written representation to the State Government and the Defence Ministry claiming that 1300 labourers were being engaged in the development work of NH 37 .

The vehicle in which the Transport Director was travelling after it veered off the road

Though the committee noted that the portion from Imphal to Awangkhul was relatively better, the remaining portion of the highway has deteriorated further since August.

As reported earlier, columns of dust have been wreaking havoc on the highway.

At one instance, the vehicle in which the JMC convenor BK Sharma was travelling deviated into the road-side nullah as visibility was drastically reduced by thick columns of dust.

BRO authorities complained that making of new roads by cutting hill slopes for every 5 Kms for digging tunnels between Noney and Khongshang by the Railways authority has affected the highway.

They asked the committee to persuade the Railways authority to make the new roads in such a way that they do not affect the highway.

OC of BRO's 83 RCC Rajendra said that the BRO has set a target of completing the highway development work by March 2013 but shortage of diesel and heavy traffic have been hampering the highway development work.

Procuring of raw materials particularly stones has been outsourced to local contractors, he said.

Black-topping of the portion from Awangkhul to Irang was being taken up anew.

As for the section from Irang to Khongshang, it was not known if the same section can be repaired within the current year.

The BRO informed the committee that tender process for this section has not been completed.

The committee members saw a hot mix plant installed anew by the BRO between Khongshang and Rengpang.

They also saw that WBM work has been completed for 5 Kms within this section.

The BRO officers informed that development work from Rengpang to Nungba and Nungba to Kambiron would not be taken up this year.

Nevertheless, about one kilometre of the highway near Kambiron which is the worst portion along the entire length of the highway was being repaired by using a new technology known as RBI 81. Barak to Makru section has been already outsourced to Gautam Construction Company, ABCI and Nidhi Enterprises.

Formation cutting for upgrading Barak-Sibilong section to double-lane which is currently single-lane would be taken up soon.

The section from Sibilong to Shanti Khunou would be black-topped by March next year, said the BRO officials.

The BRO officials further informed the committee members that black-topping of the section from Oinamlong to Nungkao would be done within March next year and the portions which could not be black-topped would be repaired to motorable condition.