Ministry urged to block NH repairing fund
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 07 2023: Alleging lack of quality control in repairing of the road stretch from Minuthong to Tiddim road along NH-02 and NH-202, a complaint has been lodged urging the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways regional office (RO) to block the funds for the said road project.

The road repair work is being currently executed in Keishampat sector of the national highway.

One Aribam Jankinath of Thawanthaba Leikai in Imphal East district had filed an RTI addressed to the chief engineer office, SPIO/superintending engineer of the Public Works Department, seeking relevant documents in the regard and contending that the road repairing is compromising work quality.

The two-lane road stretch from Minuthong to Tiddim ground is being executed by an agency named M/S MCS under the national highways division of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

While claiming that people settling on both sides of the highway have been complaining over substandard work quality, Jankinath pointed out that as per the work order of the Rs 73 crore project, the road should have BDM thickness of 115 millimetre and BC thickness of 40 millilitre.

The RTI petitioner further submitted a written complaint to the ministry's general officer alleging that the contractor concerned had executed the work without complying with the prescribed norms.

It also mentioned that the officer concerned is not monitoring the work and checking whether it is being executed as per the basic guidelines provided.

Therefore, the authority concerned should not release the running as well as the final bill of the work, the complaint letter mentioned while cautioning that he will approach the Lok Ayukta Manipur if the bill is released.

Moreover, the NIT and the bill of quantities (BOQ) should also monitor whether the work is being done following the guideline features, he suggested.

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