NH-37 fit for boating not flight landing: Hareshwar
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 01 2021: Taking a jibe against the statement made by union minister Prakash Javadekar in 2016, who assured of a better NH 37 suitable for landing flights, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) general secretary Hareshwar Goswami on Thursday said that the Imphal-Jiribam highway has become worthy for boat ride but not for landing flight as promised by BJP.

Interacting with media persons over the party's experience during their visit to Tousem for distributing Covid-19 relief items from June 23 to 27, Hareshwar said that the Go to Hills mission of the BJP government turned out to be nothing but empty slogan.

No significant developmental change could be seen in the hill areas of the state despite BJP's tall claim of the success of Go to Hills mission.

The New Kaiphundai to Tousem Road is in its worst shape that it would become inaccessible during rainy season.

During the Ibobi government in the state in 2016, union minister Prakash Ja-vadekar came to the state and promised a better NH 37 where flights could land if BJP came into power in the state.

In the same year, while laying foundation for Makru Bridge, the union minister announced 17 different projects along the highway following which the then Congress government finalised the DPR for the projects.

However, the BJP government has been ignoring the highway since it came to power despite its poor condition, he said.

During their visit to Tousem along with PCC member Dr Aku and youth Congress volunteers, they found the road stretches from Keithelmanbi to Kotlien; Noney to Awangkhul; Khongsang to Nungba; and both sides of Barak Bridge in deplorable condition.

The condition will worsen in the rainy season.

Moreover, most parts of the road stretch from Keithelmanbi to New Kaiphundai are also in bad shape.

Though Makru Bridge has been completed, completion of Barak Bridge will take time.

In short, the BJP government has not been able to deliver its promises, he contended.

Hareshwar further said that Makru Bridge is the only completed project out of the 17 projects sanctioned during the Congress government.

Progress on other projects handled by NHIDCL such as Barak Bridge, Ukhrul-Toloi-Tadubi Road, Churachandpur-Singhat-Singzawl-Tuivai Road, and Tamenglong-Khongsang Road is slow, he added.

Dr Aku wryly said that the public know how much the BJP government love the people of Tousem during the pandemic.

Tousem PHC has one doctor and three nurses but no support staff.

It has only one oxygen concentrator but no medicines required for treatment of Covid-19 .

There is no awareness activity in the area and as a result, nobody comes out for vaccination.

No initiative to organise vaccination drive by visiting the villages is also taken up, he said while emphasising the need for organising intense awareness activities.

There is no SDO, support staff, doctor in Tousem sub-division.

It is a total failure of the BJP government's Go to Hills mission, he maintained.

On the other hand, the government is encouraging conduct of online classes for students during the pandemic but it is not possible in Tousem due to irregular electricity and absence of mobile network service, he added.

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