Ranjit issues final warning to work agency
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 08 2009: Infuriated over non-execution of road development work along Zoujengtak to Khoupum stretch of Old Cachar Road, also known as Tongjei Maril, even as necessary work order of estimated amount Rs 3.44 crores from Central Road Fund (CRF) has been issued eaqrlier, Works Minister K Ranjit has issued a final warning to the work agency concerned.

Accompanied by MPCC president Gaikhangam, PWD Chief Engineer and other top officials, Ranjit conducted an on the spot inspection of the road today.

A work order for repairing (including WBM) and black-topping of the portions of the road stretch from Zoujengtak to Khoupum which are relatively worse off and extending over 16 kms was issued on August 24, 2004 .

The unfinished road stretch between Zoujengtak and Khoupum on the Old Cachar road

Work agency for the contract work is Suresh Kumar Jain Construction.

The work agency executed some parts of the contract work to the tune of Rs 1.46 crores out of the total estimated amount of Rs 3.44 crores and left the remaining portions as it was.

Visibly upset over the condition of the road which lay unrepaired in apathetic condition even as necessary work order was issued way back in 2004, Ranjit offered two options to contractor Suresh Kumar Jain, whether he should be blacklisted or whether he would complete the work within a fixed period.

To this, the contractor opted or the latter option.

Saying that the contractor would be asked to execute the remaining portion of the work within 20 days, K Ranjit informed that PWD Chief Engineer, on behalf of the State Government, would be signing an agreement with the contractor to make it legally binding for the contractor to complete the contract work within a specified period. Lamenting that problems abound Manipur in addition to several hindrances posed by different quarters against development works, the Minister decried that this particular road development work was an exceptional case in terms of inordinate delay.

Reminding that the State Government has been repeatedly appealing to all concerned not to cause impedance in development works, Ranjit sought people's cooperation towards timely completion of development works/projects.

Notwithstanding the importance of Tongjei Maril road, no CRF fund has been forthcoming because of the failure to execute the work order issued way back in 2004 .

Saying that the road development work was suspended three/four months back, Suresh Kumar disclosed that no labourer was willing to work there following threats from armed groups.

In addition to cases of abduction of three individuals including a Roller driver, armed miscreants have also set ablaze a JCB.

The official team led by Works Minister K Ranjit also inspected the site at Nungleiband where a bailey bridge would be constructed over Leimatak river.

Till date, construction of supporting pillars for the bridge has been completed.

The bridge would be fully completed within a month, assured K Ranjit.

In their next stop, the team inspected the ongoing construction work of Bishnupur Mini-Secretariat.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the pace of the construction work which was initiated in 2004, Ranjit observed that even as other districts have also been facing similar several problems/constraints, progress made in construction of Mini-Secretariats in other districts were satisfactory.

Taking serious note of contractors diving contract works to sub-contractors, K Ranjit in a strongly worded statement declared that he would start booking defaulting contractors even at the cost of losing elections.

Calling upon engineers to give up the habit of working on tables only, he exhorted engineers to conduct field inspection regularly.

He also cautioned erring engineers saying that they too would be booked.