Rs 9.59 cr sanctioned for repairing highways
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 26 2015 : For or-dinary repairing and repairing of flood damaged sections of National Highways including Imphal-Dimapur highway, an amount of Rs 9.59 crore has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.

According to a source in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the sanctioned amount would be utilized for ordinary repairing and repairing of highway sections damaged by floods from Mao to Khongnang Karak, M-Sector to Moreh and Yaingang- pokpi to Churachandpur which are under the State PWD.

While Rs 3.23 crore would be utilized in ordinary repairing, Rs 6.36 crore has been set aside for repairing flood damaged sections.

The amount of Rs 3.23 meant for ordinary repairing was sanctioned on July 8 this year while the amount of Rs 6.36 for repairing flood damaged sections was sanctioned on September 15 .

A broken road surface at Imphal city

However, not a single rupee out of the sanctioned amount of Rs 9.59 crore can be used in repairing road sections which are currently under Defect Liability Period after original works have been executed.

For all those road sections where original works have been executed and which are under Defect Liability Period, the concerned contractors should take the responsibility of maintenance and repairing., informed the official source.

In addition to Rs 9.59 crore sanctioned for ordinary repairing and repairing of road sections damaged by floods, MoRTH earmarked Rs five crore on July 8 this year for repairing National Highways which are under the care of State PWD.

However, the amount of Rs five crore has not been sanctioned till date.

Even if the same amount is sanctioned, the State PWD is unlikely to get complete freedom for utilizing it.

According to information received from the State PWD, greater share of the Rs 6.36 crore sanctioned for repairing road sections damaged by floods would be utilized on Pallel-Moreh section of Imphal-Moreh highway .

But there are numerous potholes on Imphal-Mao highway as well as on other highways criss-crossing greater Imphal area, added the source.

Notably, Imphal-Moreh was severely damaged by multiple landsides trigered by heavy rainfall in the last week of August.

Since then, the highway which is central to Indo-Myanmar border trade has not been properly restored.

Many sections of the highway are still unfit for heavy vehicles.