Imphal, August 24 2010: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which has been in charge of NH-53 since 1968 will remain the highway's care-taker for another three years.

A reliable source informed that the Manipur Government was officially intimated by Ministry of Home Affairs, to keep the BRO in charge of NH-53 for three years after which the State Government may take over the responsibility.

Notably, maintenance and development of all National highways are being funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways whereas the BRO is under control of the Ministry of Defence.

Around Rs 200 crores sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for development of NH-53 remain unutilised till date.

Taking serious note of the deplorable condition of NH-53 and the failure of the BRO to make the highway fit for vehicular traffic despite keeping the highway under its responsibility for the last 40 years, Chief Minister O Ibobi approached the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Central leaders to hand over NH-53 to the State Government.

The written intimation sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the State Government about keeping the BRO in charge of NH-53 for three more years also instructed the BRO to fully utilise the amount sanctioned by the relevant Ministry within three years.

It also contained certain other guidelines like release of requisite funds every three month from the Rs 200 crores which have been sanctioned but not yet released, and to sanction requisite funds for DPRs already completed and approved, conveyed the source.

The pitching in of the Ministry of Home Affairs in favour of the BRO assumes significance given the prevailing crisis over shortage of essential commodities in Manipur due to frequent blockades on NH-39 which has been converted into a bargaining tool for one demand or another.

The Home Ministry's intimation also instructed the State Government to depute a dedicated Superintending Engineer to monitor NH-53 repairing work on daily basis.

Following the Home Ministry's intimation to keep NH-53 under BRO for three more years, the seven selected contractors and their machinery sent by the State Government to repair NH-53 would be withdrawing one after another, added the source.

Comment