TDC asks Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to give up NH work
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 28 2012: Expressing strong dissatisfaction with the working style of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) along the imphal-Jiribam section of National highway-37 (53), Transporters and Drivers' Council (TDC) has demanded that the highway development task be assigned to Military Engineering Department.

speaking to newspersons at the Council's office in MG Avenue today, TDC president H Ranjit blamed BRO authorities for the transport operators continuously suffering severe hardships while plying along NH-37 .

He also disclosed that a Nagaland-based organisation has banned vehicles bearing Manipur registration number from entering or passing through Dimapur following which the Council had also advised all transport operators to take the matter seriously.

Stating that about 700 Manipur bound trucks are still stranded at Jiribam since the last many days due to BRO personnel unable to maintain the Golarthon and Leingangpokpi road diversions to a passable one, Ranjit also accused the BRO authorities of deliberately delaying completion of the highway development work.

Substantiating his claim, the Council president stated that instead of ensuring loaded trucks pass through the road diversion points, a BRO official, who is in-charge of the highway development task, intimated Jiribam police Officer in-charge to restrain goods-laden vehicles from crossing Jiribam for atleast 4/5 more days.

In another official conveyance to the Manipur Chief Secretary, the official not only commented on the law and order situation in the State, overloading by truckers and passage of vehicles hampering road development works, but also posed on the transport operators opting to ply on NH-37 even though there is no bandh or blockade along the Imphal-Dimapur route, Ranjit claimed.

Expressing awe at the official's audacity to question preferred movement of vehicles on NH-37 rather than NH-39 and opining that the official needs to concentrate on expeditious completion of the assigned task (NH-37), Ranjit asserted that punitive action should be initiated against the BRO officer for duty negligence.

Charging BRO authorities of betraying the people of Manipur, he also opined that NH-37 works are being intentionally delayed to divert/siphon off funds provided for the purpose.

Accusing Government of Manipur with aggravating the situation with the contention that repeated appraisals to the Chief Minister and the Works Minister for periodical monitoring of the BRO activities had failed to generate any positive response, the Council president cautioned that expecting BRO to complete the assignment in time would be unrealistic as the work agency is not properly equipped to handle the task.

As it needs no further explanation that BRO lacks machines and trucks to even collect road construction materials, the State Government should approach Ministry of Defence for reallotting the task to Military Engineering Department, Ranjit reiterated.

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