MLA Loken urges upgrade of Mayai Lambi
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 05 2024: Highlighting increasing traffic volume, Wangoi MLA Kh Loken stressed the need to upgrade the Mayai Lambi stretch of the NH-137-A from Wahengbam Leikai to Kakching Lamkhai at the earliest.

Raising a motion during the Question Hour in Tuesday's sitting of the Assembly, Loken enquired about status and progress of the upgrading work, total length of the road to be widened as approved by the ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and whether expansion of the road to four-lane has been approved for only specific stretch.

Replying to the queries, works minister Govindas Konthoujam informed that the ministry has approved in-principle construction of two-lane with paved shoulder from Uchiwa to Wabagai Lamkhai while process to start the work by dividing into three work packages has been initiated.

The works department had earlier submitted DPR to the ministry for taking up the work from Wahengbam Leikai to Kakching before division of the work.

He further said the ministry had approved road improvement works from Uchiwa to Sekmaijih Bridge and from Wabagai SBI office point and extending some distance under engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode in 2019 under work package number 2 .

The completion date of the improvement works was 2022 while the defective liability period was for five years.

The works department has also been urging the ministry to sanction the amount for packages 1 and 3 which is likely before end of the current financial year.

MLA Kh Loken again urged the minister to press the ministry to convert package number 2 to for four-lane stretch similar to the Mao-Maram route taken up NHIDCL with sanctioning of funds for road widening process even before the expiry of the defective liability period.

The government should initiate the works before onset of monsoons, he pressed.

To this, minister Govindas said that the NHIDCL is an enterprise of the ministry of road transport and highways and is quite different from the state.

The vehicular movement from Uchiwa to Wabagai Lamkhai does not meet the criteria for a national highway.

Therefore, the proposal to upgrade the said st retch to four-lane was rejected by the central government.

However, the state government has plans for requisition of land along the stretch so as to take up road expansion works as and when need arises.

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