Two agencies work on single road !
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 17 2023: In a bizarre revelation, two Government agencies have been found working separately on a single road through two contractors under different schemes.

While Mutum Phibou-Chongtham Kona road is being developed under PWD with funding from Central Road Fund (CRF), District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Imphal West issued a separate work order for development of the same road.

PWD issued a Letter of Acceptance to special class contractor LS Asheli on September 20, 2019 and the contractor was given a work order under the name 'Improvement of Road from Samurou Bazar to Mutum Phibou via Imphal Barrage and Iram Siphai under CRF Scheme in the State of Manipur' .

Its estimated cost was Rs 5,94,91,185.82 .

Meanwhile, office of the Executive Director, DRDA, Imphal West granted a work order to special class contractor Md Abdul Kasim on August 23, 2022 under the name 'NH 3-Internal Roads from Mutum Phibou to Chongtham Kona' .

As per the second work order, the estimated cost for development of Mutum Phibou-Chongtham Kona road was Rs 1.08 crore approximately.

Incidentally, the road development work was nearing completion under PWD with funding from CRF when a separate work order was issued by DRDA for development of the same road.

Wangoi AC MLA Khuraijam Loken wrote a letter on March 16 this year and informed about this discrepancy to the then Chief Secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar.

A copy of the same letter was sent to Planning Director N Kulkarni.

The MLA wrote another letter to the Manipur Legislative Assembly Estimates Committee highlighting inclusion of a particular work in DRDA's work programme which was already being executed under PWD with funding from CRF.

The Assembly Estimates Committee held a meeting on March 21 this year and the meeting deliberated on the issue of overlapping between CRF scheme and DRDA with particular reference to the Mutum Phibou-Chongtham Kona road.

The meeting was attended by Imphal West Deputy Commissioner Th Kirankumar, PWD Chief Engineer N Subhash, PWD EE Imphal West (Highway Division), DRDA EE and Joint Secretary, and they resolved to examine the matter.

However, some amount was withdrawn from DRDA after submitting certain photographs of the road development work executed under PWD with CRF funding.

Incidentally, the road development work has not yet been initiated under DRDA.

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