IT Road physically inspected Special package sought : Govindas
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 21 2022: Works Minister Govindas Konthoujam has stated that the State Government has been working to develop the State's road infrastructure after obtaining a special package from the Central Government.

Together with Cabinet colleagues Awangbow Newmai, Nemcha Kipgen and MLA N Kayisii, Govindas Konthoujam made a field assessment of Imphal-Tamenglong or IT Road today.

Govindas said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) gave in-principle approval in 2018 for upgrading the 120 Kms long IT Road to the status of a National Highway.

But no new official announcement has been made in this regard.

As such, no highway number has been allotted to IT Road which reaches Tamenglong from Kangpokpi via Tamei, he said.

"As Chief Minister N Biren communicated with the Prime Minister's Office on the matter on Thursday, I had talked face to face with Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari", the Works Minister said.

"We are here at the advice of the Chief Minister to make an assessment of the damages caused by landslides at different points of the road and work out a plan to develop the road", he said.

"We have seen the massive landslide which occurred at T Vaichong and also the damages done to IT road due to shifting course by Irang River at Makui", he continued.

Once MoRTH comes out with an announcement that IT Road is a National Highway, the problem of developing the road would be solved.

Nonetheless, a proposal has been sent to construct a 35 Km long section of the 120 Km long road under the Central Roads Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) .

Road construction work would begin as soon as the necessary fund is released, he said.

Water Resources Minister Awangbow Newmai said that the road was constructed with funds from the North Eastern Council (NEC) some years back and movement of vehicles along the road was quite smooth. Now the road has fallen into a bad shape after the NEC's programme expired.

People have been enduring the inconveniences caused by the damaged road for the past five years as the State Government was not in a position to re-construct the road, Awangbow said.

IT Road is a vital link for the people of Tamei AC, Tadubi AC and Kangpokpi AC.

Noting that the road has been further damaged due to shifting course by Irang River, Awangbow Newmai said that the Government would see whether the damage can be mitigated by building/strengthening embankment.

He assured that the Government would take necessary measures to provide some relief to the people who have lost their paddy fields to landslides at T Vaichong.

PWD Chief Engineer and officials of Rural Engineering Department too accompanied the team led by Govindas Konthoujam.

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