More than a question of BRO or PWD
The highway politics
- Sangai Express Editorial :: October 14 , 2013 -

File Picture :: Works Minister, PWD officials survey NH-2 development work

It should be clear.

It is not so much a question of whether the Imphal-Jiribam stretch of NH-37 should be looked after by the Border Roads Organisation or the State Public Works Department, but about ensuring that this stretch becomes an all weather road and fits the bill of a National Highway.

Even as the BRO is reported to have conveyed its desire to be relieved of the responsibility of looking after this stretch of the highway, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is obviously under the impression that it would be better off to entrust the task to the BRO rather than the State PWD.

There may be nothing wrong with the choice of the MHA, but the politics at work here is something which is not entirely invisible to the naked eye.

It should be clear that there are forces, powerful players, out there who stand to gain by maintaining the status quo, that is let the Imphal-Jiribam remain as it, practically unmotorable.

To put this more succinctly, make Manipur rely on only one lifeline, which is the Imphal-Dimapur stretch of NH-2.

Central to all this is the politics of not only controlling the lifelines of the people but also about revenue collection, which runs into crores of rupees annually.

A veritable gold mine, one would say.

Another viable lifeline of the State would naturally mean cutting off the supply chain of money and goods from the Imphal-Dimapur line.

It is this politics which should be read into the question of BRO or State PWD on NH-37.

It is not only the terrain and soil formation that is impeding the work pace along this said route, but also the politics of highways, or lifelines.

And to be sure there must be influential people and power brokers, who will go to any extent to let the BRO or State PWD question become yet another stumbling block on the smooth progress of the work there.

So far there is nothing much to suggest that the BRO has done a commendable work along this route.

And it should be obvious to all that it is not only a question of lack of application or inertia on the part of the BRO, but also the politics of highways that is being played out on the turf of the routes connecting Manipur to other parts of the country.

How the dice will roll remains to be seen but the need to urgently tackle this question should not be overlooked.

To repeat what has been said, it is not so much a question of whether the said responsibility should be handed over to the State PWD or let the BRO continue, but about completing the task at hand.

And the first step towards ensuring this, other than keeping a hawk's eye on the work progress, is to neutralise the power players, the forces which are intent on letting Manipur rely on only one lifeline.

As long as Manipur continues to rely only on one lifeline, it serves the interest of these power players no end.

Apart from the huge revenue generated by imposing different types of ‘taxes', this also means that the State Government and the people can be brought to their knees at the fancy and whims of anyone.

Manipur has already witnessed this in 2005, 2010 and 2011.

In between and before there have been other such cases and there is no guarantee that the State will not see or experience a repeat of 2005, 2010 and 2011.

This is not the time to dilly-dally over the question of who or which agency should be entrusted with the task of upgrading the Imphal-Jiribam line.

This is the time to start working with a purpose in mind.

The working season will soon start and time is of utmost importance.

The politics, the kind that is being played out on the lifelines of the State should be nipped in the bud and neutralised at all cost.

How the State Government rise to the challenge or issue at hand remains to be seen, but it is something which should not be slept upon or swept under the carpet.