Khemchand fumes over bill withdrawn sans job done
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 09 2022: Fund for a 15-km long PMGSY project to be taken up from Rengpang to Mongjaron Khullen village under Nungba block of Noney district was found withdrawn without executing the work.

Furious over the finding, RD&PR minister Yumnam Khemchand has instructed the engineers, contractor and sub-contractors concerned to start the work immediately and threatened to take up legal actions if they do not comply.

The minister along with additional chief secretary MH Khan, rural engineering department chief engineer Pantising Thaimei, additional chief engineer Kh Rajen and other officials visited to assess PMGSY Phase-2 roads in Noney district and came across the present condition of the road in question.

Furious over the matter, the minister asked the officials to convene a meeting and directed the additional chief secretary to attend the meeting as well.

The 15-km long PMGSY road was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 7 crore in 2019 under PMGSY Phase-2, the tenure of which ended last month.

So far, Rs 6 crore had been withdrawn for the project.

The project includes eight retaining walls, seven breast walls and drainage, none of which have been executed till date.

Not even WBM work has been executed on the surface.

The minister pulled up the sub-contractor and asked him to complete at least half Of the eight retaining walls and begin the WBM work by the time when he makes another inspection visit, which will be after two weeks.

While declaring that that neither the contractor nor the engineer, who was handling the work at the time of withdrawal of the work bill will be spared, Khemchand reiterated that the department will initiate legal action against all of them under Money Laundering Act if he could not see any significant progress within the two weeks.

No political backing will be able to save them, he asserted.

On the other hand, the min ister expressed happiness on getting warm welcome from the local residents settling along the route and assured of improving condition of roads in the interior parts of the state so that people living there no longer face the hardships of poor road connectivity.

Stating that he has been inspecting road projects in remote areas of the state ever since he took charge as RD&PR minister, Khemchand recounted of his earlier visits to Ukhrul and Kamjong districts followed by his inspection tour to Noney after he received complaints about bad road conditions in the district.

He then assured the villagers to oversee and ensure proper execution of all PMGSY roads.

The minister also assessed the condition of the 32-km long Soukapteng-Ningnang road during his visit.

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