Union MoS for Defence inspects Imphal-Jiri line by road
Jitendra assures all weather road for NH-37
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 21 2013: Union MoS for Defence Jitendra Singh has assured to upgraqde the deplorable section of NH-37 connecting Imphal and Jiribam sub-division bordering Assam to an 'all weather road' at the earliest.

No deadlines, however were given.

Along with Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Deputy CM Gaikhangam and senior Border Roads Organization (BRO) officials, Jitendra started by road from Nungba and inspected the conditions of the highway and Barak bridge constructed along the route.

Earlier they were scheduled to inspect Barak and Makru bridges, but the team had to give Makru bridge a miss, due to the conditions of the road.

Significantlty, the Ministerial cavalcade had to stop about 4 kms before reaching Barak bridge due to the conditions of the road.

The Ministers had to eventually abandon their heavy bullet proof vehicles, and proceed on Gypsys.

Union MoS for Defence Jitendra inspecting Makru bridge along with the Chief Minister and others

Jitendra's whistle stop visit came at a time when flow of essential commodities to the State along Imphal-Dimapur highway has been stopped since the last one week following a road sink near Kohima along the key supply route of Manipur.

BRO, which is partly under the Defence Ministry, is currently maintaining NH 37 even as a bunch of transporters and civil bodies of the State have expressed their dissatisfaction and unhappiness with the organization's slow progress in improving the highway, the alternate supply route to land-locked Manipur.

Jitendra assured that the development works of the 221-Km Imphal-Jiribam stretch of the highway would be refurbished and upgraded to an 'all weather route' for which he has instructed the BRO to speed up the construction works, official sources said.

The Union Minister also assured that he will come to Manipur and revisit the route in December this year and inspect the work progress.

Black topping of the route will be completed by 2014, the Union Minister announced and added that the fund for the completion of Barak and Makru bridges would be sanctioned soon.

Former MoS for Defence MM Pallam Raju, who inspected the same highway on September 17 last year, had assured that the route's improvement work would be completed by December this year.

Jitendra, who also holds the Youth Affairs and Sports (independent charge) portfolio, was supposed to attend an interaction programme with the Pradesh youth congress at Imphal at 2 pm after inspecting the road during his one day Manipur visit, but it was cancelled owing to bad weather.

From Nungba in Tamenglong district along NH-37, the MoS along with the VIPs flew directly to Imphal airport at 4.10 pm before he departed for New Delhi, the sources said.

In the meantime, four Zeliangrong civil organizations submitted a joint memorandum to the Union MoS urging him to make NH 37 an 'all weather road' and that its maintenance work should be continued by the BRO, a Naga leader said.

Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB), Zeliangroung Youth Front ( ZYF), Zeliangrong Students' Union ( ZSU) and Zeliangrong People's Coordinating Committee ( ZPCC) also demanded to hand over the maintenance works of Tamenglong-Haflong via Tousem road and Khongsang-Tamenglong roads to the BRO.

Besides urging to expedite the Naga peace process and take it to its logical conclusion, the memorandum also sought to initiate political talks on the alternative arrangement demand raised by the United Naga Council (UNC)'s on the basis of the intimation submitted to the Centre on August 31 last year, he added.

The Zeliangrong civil bodies also urged a stop to exploration of natural wealth in Zeliangrong areas of Manipur and also demanded the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Manipur.