'Jiri road' good enough for plane landing: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 05 2024: Parts of Jiri road, which are said to be in poor conditions, come under the area with pending land compensations.

Road areas with no pending land compensations are in good condition that a plane can even land on the same, claimed chief minister N Biren.

Referring to cut motions raised by opposition MLAs K Ranjit, K Meghachandra, and Th Lokeshwor during discussion on Demands for Grants of Public Works Department in Monday's sitting of the Legislative Assembly, CM Biren, responding on behalf of works minister K Govindas, who had taken leave due to ill health, said while constructing major roads, land compensation disputes are prime causes for stalling the project.

The same is for the Jiribam road along the national highways.

The biggest issue in hill area is the absence of a proper land policy which makes it difficult while measuring the land.

Additionally, most if the issues faced in the hill areas is related to land compensation.

As such, portions of Jiri road which is said to be in bad condition are those pending land compensation.

Other portions of the road without any disputes and blacktopped are lustrous and good enough for a plane to land, as declared earlier.

Meanwhile, other portions are now four-lane roads.

Thus, with the support of minister Awangbow Newmai and MLA Dipu Kamei, efforts are underway to resolve the disputed land areas and develop the same at the earliest, he stated.

Mentioning that the BJP government has been working to enhance road connectivity in the state since its first term in 2017, Biren explained that out road projects sanctioned by the centre and being executed by NHIDCL, BRO and PWD, NHIDCL is in-charge of total length of 147.95 km, BRO 5 km and PWD overseeing construction of 310.64 km.

Stating that the Imphal-Jiribam road was first constructed at the time of Second World War without any bridges, he highlighted that at present, four bridges have been constructed on the same route.

To attract tourists to the state, the chief minister said several highways connecting major tourists spot are on the verge of completion.

The Barak-Makru-Irang Bridge has been constructed through NHIDCL with quality materials.

For NH-10, a sum of Rs 1300 crore has been sanctioned to connect Tupul, Kasom Khullen and Mao.

To facilitate tourist movement, a national highway connecting Imphal-Moreh (94.497km) is nearing completion, while construction of Pallel-Chandel Road extending to 18 km has been completed.

The construction of Tamenglong-Mohul Road (96 km) is also nearing completion, he conveyed.

Regarding construction of a highway connecting Wabagai Lamkhai to Sugnu, an RDF of around Rs 45 crore was submitted, of which Rs 2.95 crore has been sanctioned for repairing potholes and others.

All activities will be initiated within the current financial year, the CM stated.

Biren continued that that funds for Imphal-Yairipok road have been sanctioned in two phases and tender process is underway.

The works to be taken up by PWD have been prepared as work programme till 2021-22 .

In 2022-23, the work programme was cancelled due to high liability.

While there is discussion to prepare a work programme for 2024-25, no final decision has been taken, he added.

Informing that the government had taken up a policy to encourage competition between agencies with quality and timing as the focus points, he said that the move has ensured speedy completion of constructions.

Works under Police Housing Corporation are also being completed within the given timeline, he stated, while maintaining that there will be no procedural lapses or rule violations.

He then informed that the Rs 3500 crore tender for construction of concrete roads in Imphal and surrounding areas has been completed.

Once the same is constructed, there will be no need to reconstruct for the next 40 years.

The ring road is estimated to cost around Rs 1200 crore.

Despite the conflict, the works are being continued as usuaL For local contractors, the state government has been allocating Specific work programmes and projects to 914 local contractors.

Both local contractors and labourers are ignored, as claimed, he clarified, adding that majority are local labourers.

Calling Sawombung road an important asset, he informed that tender for the same was floated on December 2 last year.

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