TDC ridicules BRO DG's claims on NH-37
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 10 2012: Ridiculing Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director General S Ravi Shankar's assertion that development of Imphal-Jiribam road would be completed by December 2013, Transporters and Drivers' council (TDC) president H Ranjit contended that the DG's claims is merely a diversionary tactics aimed at covering up BRO's misdemeanours.

Reacting to the DG's comment to newspersons at a brief stop-over here yesterday, Ranjit cautioned that Ravi Shankar should neither take the transporters for granted nor should BRO continue to exploit the Highway section for financial gains.

Taking into account the present deplorable condition of the Highway stretch there is no way BRO would complete the assigned task within the period specified by the DG, said Ranjit during a media briefing at the MG Avenue office of the Council this evening.

Strongly condemning BRO's callousness in executing the assigned tasks, he noted that since April this year till date there is no sign of BRO authorities either collecting road development materials or repairing seriously dilapidated sections of the Highway so as to facilitate passage of goods and passenger carriers.

File: An excavator clearing the way for goods carriers on NH-37

Referring to the highway section from Oinamlong to keimai villages of Tamenglong district along the ImphalJiribam route to substantiate his assertion that BRO had been neglecting the second lifeline of Manipur, Ranjit said that only through the initiatives of the transporters the said road section was repaired for resumption of vehicular traffic.

Disagreeing with the BRO chief's contention that plying of about 700 heavy vehicles along the route on a daily basis is seriously hampering BRO activities, the Council president advised that security escort provision record maintained by the office of the State's DGP and police headquarters would certainly enable Ravi shankar to get more informative and refrain from relying on his intuitive instinct on such a serious issue.

As it is well aware to everyone that black-topping alone do not necessary mean that quality has been maintained it is the responsibility of the work agency to ensure that sinking zones are effectively repaired by strengthening the portion through boulder piling, he said while opining that the DG's assertion amounts to putting the transporters to the gallows as loaded vehicles would surely sink and endanger the drivers/handymen.

Asking Ravi shankar as why BRO could not collect boulders/stones when the same construction materials could be possessed by the work agencies engaged in the rail-line construction, Ranjit opined that the only agenda for the BRO is to siphon off project funds.

He also dismissed the BRO chief quoting road Monitoring Committee's report as positive with the allegation that BRO officials might have entertained the Committee authority with pleasantries for a favourable report as the prevailing condition is a grim reminder that the Imphal-Jiribam route is laying in the most deplorable condition.

With regard to Ravi shankar claiming that 750 BRO personnel are engaged in the work, Ranjit wryly remarked that the figure should be only 75 .

Even if BRO decides the withdraw its men from the highway development work, TDC will galvanise all its resources to transform the route into a standard highway, the Council president asserted and clarified that TDC representatives abstained from the recent road condition assessment visit by the Monitoring Committee as the Council has no faith on the Committee.

He also accused BRO authorities of intentionally undermining safety and comfort of the transport operators with the assertion that information conveyed to the BRO for assistance to mishap-hit vehicles do not get positive response.