Imphal, April 17: The work on upgrading the National Highway-39 stretch from Moirangkhom to Singjamei Bazar to a four-lane has been stalled as the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Government of India is hesitant on releasing the required fund in view of the failure to utilise the fund sanctioned earlier for various works.

The Ministry also seems to see no point or urgency in converting the road stretch to a four-lane in view of the existing traffic volume along the said National Highway.

Speaking to The Sangai Express an official source in the Works Department of the State Government, said that the Government of Manipur has spent Rs 11.45 crores till date in giving compensation to the owners of the land and buildings that were demolished for the purpose of expansion and upgradation of the road from Moirangkhom to Singjamei Bazar to a four-lane.

The source disclosed that for implementing the task of upgrading the road stretch to four-lane, the Works Department had submitted a DPR of Rs 6 crores to the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways for carrying out the task from Singjamei Parking to MU Main Gate during 2006-07 besides another DPR of Rs 18.5 crores for the task from Ist MR Gate to Singjamei Parking.

The DPRs of the Works Department have been included in the work programme of the annual plan of the Ministry.

But inspite of several reminders, the Ministry has not sanctioned the required fund, thus putting the proposal of upgrading the road stretch to four-lane to a grinding halt, the source said.

Nonetheless, in the month of January this year, the Ministry gave its approval for sanctioning Rs 8 crores for taking up the work from Singjamei Parking to MU Main Gate.

Accordingly, the process for inviting tender is already underway, the source informed.

As for the road upgradation work from Ist MR Gate to Singjamei Parking, the required fund is yet to be sanctioned by the Ministry, the source said, adding that the State Public Works Department would be exerting pressure on the Ministry for sanctioning the fund.

In connection with the refusal of the Ministry to sanction the required fund for upgrading the road from Moirangkhom to MU Main Gate to four-lane, the source disclosed that the Ministry has conveyed verbally to the officials of the Works Dept that conversion of the NH stretch into four-lane is not necessary in consideration for the current traffic volume along the said route.

On top of this, the Ministry has also made it clear that the fund sanctioned earlier for development of the National Highway stretch from Maram to Moreh should be utilised properly first, the source disclosed.

Conceding that the fund sanctioned by the Ministry during 1996-1997 for construction/repairing of the bridges at Pallel and Lokchao has not been able to utilise till date, the source, however, claimed that most of the works that have been sanctioned by the Ministry during 2003-04 are nearing completion.

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