Govt commits construction of Tipaimukh Dam: CM
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 12 2010: State government is committed to go ahead with the controversial Tipaimukh Multi-purpose Project, said the Chief Minister, O Ibobi today in the House during the question of the ongoing budget session.

He also revealed that the improvement works of road and bridges on the stretch of the NH-53 (Imphal-Jiribam section), which was stalled due to necessary realignment with the coming up of Tipaimukh Dam, has started and targeting to complete by March next year to make in all season road.

State government will take up the works at its own effort even if the Centre refused to release fund in the backdrop of necessary realignments, the Chief Minister said.

Central government had stopped releasing funds for the maintenance of the road and bridges on this stretch of highway considering the need for realignment, Ibobi said observing that some portions of the road passing through the Barak River will be submerged once the Tipaimukh dam came up.

With the ongoing session of state Assembly ended earlier, CM O Ibobi taking break by inspecting rejuvenation works inside Kangla Fort

In reply to a question raised by opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam of NCP in the House today, government has a commitment to the construction of Tipaimukh Multi-purpose Project as joint venture project between the state government5%, National Hydro Power Project Corporation (NHPC)-69 percent and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd26% .

The cost of the project targeting to produce 1500 megawatt is estimated at Rs 8138.79 crore.

When the dam is constructed around 275 square kilometer area of land on the Barak basin will be submerged into the water.

The portion of the NH-53 from Barak to Mapou will be submerged into the water.

In the backdrop of this, Centre government is reluctant to release funds for development of the highway and when state government request for releasing the fund, it was not taken seriously, Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh said.

Even though Centre is not providing fund, state government is committed to take up improvement works of the NH-53.Government decided to convert eight small bridges, which will be submerged when the dam came up, into RCC Bridge.

Clarifying on the government decision to take over the maintenance works of NH-53 from the Border Road Organisation (BRO), the chief minister said that it was due to neglected attitude of the BRO.

Government is pressing the Union ministry concern to handover the state PWD, he added.

He also criticized the state BRO for lack of maintaining quality in the road improvement works and said that the present deplorable condition at various portion of the highway is due to lack of quality control in boulder lying works.

Earlier, opposition leader Radhabinod asked the House that what step has been taken up by the government to relief the people from non-availability and hiking of prices of goods due to the uncertainty on the two national highways.

Tuckers are refusing to procure the items on the NH-39 and at the same time due to the bad condition, regular traffic on NH-53 is yet to be resuming despite hectic efforts.

At this point of time, what the government taken up as alternative means, he asked.