Financial bids opened for sections of NH-2
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 17 2017:
Financial bids for construction of Mao-Senapati and Senapati-Koubru Leikha sections of NH-2 have been opened.
Speaking at a reception function held in his and Parliamentary Secretary Awangbow Newmai's honour at the conference of PWD today, Works Minister Th Biswajit stated that the financial bids have been opened.
A letter purportedly written by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari about the delay in opening tender bids was published in the media in what appeared to be politicisation of the issue, Biswajit remarked.
But the particular letter has not been received at the Chief Minister's office.
The particular letter whose source was dubious was published in the media because someone fed the letter to media houses, he charged.
"I was so hurt and I thought about holding a press meet.
Even the Chief Minister suggested that the matter should be clarified through media", Biswajit confided.
He said that he called the Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) through telephone and asked if it was true that the highway sections handled by the State PWD would be handed over to NHIDCL.
"NHIDCL, BRO as well as the State PWD are all implementing agencies.
Which highway sections would be handled by which implementing agency should be left at the wisdom of the Ministry but you should not try to influence the Ministry and write such letters as the one published in media", Biswajit recounted about what he told the MoRTH Chief Engineer.
Even though the incumbent Government is just about two months old, it has been working hard to rectify the errors and discrepancies committed during the previous Governments.
The department sent a letter to the Ministry on May 7 and its reply has been received.
The reply asked the department to furnish whatever documents that were missing or erroneous.
After receiving the reply, the department took just three days and the tender bids were opened on May 15."I'm not bothered whether I'm given Ministerial portfolios or not.
Our primary objective is to achieve people's welfare at the best level by extending unstinted cooperation to the Government", Biswajit stated.
One regional officer of MoRTH had visited Manipur but the Ministry was reluctant to sanction money for repairing the dilapidated highway sections of Senapati.
The Ministry was apparently of the view that the State Government should take care of the highway section after opening the tender bids.
"But I've told them (Ministry) that they may sanction money or not but we would not go at their diktats", Biswajit conveyed.
The highway section would be repaired at the expense of the State Government and the road repairing work has already started.
The Central Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been paying special attention to Jammu & Kashmir and the North East region.
The Works Minister informed that the Prime Minister gave Rs 150 crore to the State Government after he and Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister for financial assistance.
The State Government has also been lobbying with the Prime Minister to waive the State's existing financial deficits.
The State Government has been working to elicit Rs 400 crore from the Central Road Fund.
Plans are also afoot to construct a performing arts complex under NLCPR at the State's own plot of 4.25 acre at Gurgaon at the cost of around Rs 300 crore.
A guest house having around 100 rooms would be constructed as a part of the complex.
In addition to renovating the Jyoti Niwas located at Shillong, a guest house would be constructed in Nagaland, the PWD Minister continued.
He said that the State PWD would be developed to international standard and it would start functioning as a 'paper-less' office after installation of necessary infrastructure.
Parliamentary Secretary Awangbow Newmai, Parliamentary Secretary L Rameshore, Commissioner (Works) K Radhakumar and PWD Chief Engineer Th Tiken were also seated on the dais during the felicitation function.
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