Imphal, June 06: A cloud of doubt and suspicion has been raised over the submission of a tender by a firm for the contract work of constructing an apron, the parking lot for aircraft, at the Tulihal airport to the authorities of Airports Authority of India.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a well informed source alleged that the said firm while submitting the tender had claimed that it had constructed a Pavement Quality Concrete on the Singhat to Singzawl road in Churachandpur district in 2004 at the cost of Rs 12 crores.

Moreover the firm also claimed in the tender that the said road stretch is NH-150, alleged the source.

The terms and conditions laid down by the Airports Authority of India clearly stated among others that the firm "should have satisfactorily completed (Phase/Part completion of the scope of work in a contract shall not be considered) three works, each of Rs 459.56 lakhs or two works each of Rs 574.45 lakhs or one work of Rs 919.11 crores in single contract in India of pavement works of Airfield Pavement or National Highways/Expressways (experience in State Highways/city road/town road etc will not be considered) during last seven years ending on November 30, 2007".On further inquiry by The Sangai Express it has been established that the Singhat to Singzawl route does not come under NH-150 and only recently Works Minister K Ranjit had announced that it would be upgraded to the status of a State Highway.

The Singhat to Singzawl stretch is currently under construction by the State PWD with funding from the NEC.

Interacting with The Sangai Express Works Minister K Ranjit confirmed that the said route does not come under NH-150 but under the Guite Road.

When The Sangai Express contacted an official of the AAI posted at Tulihal airport, the official said that they received an intimation from the AAI authorities in April this year to verify whether the Singhat to Singzawl road falls within NH-150.However as the said road is infested with militants, the AAI authority was informed that conducting a physical verification would not be possible.

The tender which verified that the PQC work was implemented on Singhat to Singzawl route and that it comes under NH-150 bore the signature of a senior officer of the State PWD who is not the authorised person, said the source further.

The claims in the tender should be verified by an Executive Engineer of the State PWD who works directly under the SE of the same department, who is the overall in charge of National Highways in Manipur, said the source.

The new apron as well as construction of a Link Taxiway was necessitated due to the growing number of flights at Tulihal.

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