Seven years is a long, long time : Civil Sectt crawling at snail pace
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 14 2017 -

A 10 year old child back then would now have completed her schooling and would probably be in college now.

A child back then would now be in her teenage years, no longer a child.

This is how long the construction work of the Civil Secretariat at Chingmeirong has taken and the more bitter side of the story is that no one knows when it will be completed.

Not in the near future, if one takes into account the lethargic pace in which the construction has been proceeding.

Perhaps the only bright part of the story is that it was not included amongst the many projects inaugurated ahead of the Assembly election back in 2012.

Remember how many of the projects inaugurated back in 2012 reduced the understanding of ‘inaugurated’ to a farce and one just has to recollect the human faeces that littered the now opened ISBT, after it was inaugurated but was not opened for functioning.

That the Civil Secretariat was not among the projects inaugurated back then is perhaps the only silver lining that one may see in its work progress.

If memory serves us right, the foundation stone of the Civil Secretariat was laid some time in October of 2010 and construction work began in 2011/2012.

Foundation stone laid ten years back and construction work starting one or two years after the foundation stone and the natural question is what is the status of the work progress ?

Or can it at all be called progress, for there is nothing much to suggest that any progress has been made in the last 7 or 6 or 5 years.

Moreover what is the estimated cost of the project ?

Must have increased manifold by now for the price index of 2010 or 2011 or 2012 is sure to be very, very different from 2017 and judging by the pace of the work from 2018 or 2019 or even 2020.

Simplex Infrastructures Limited has had its say, explaining why there are currently only 70/80 labourers engaged in the construction work, stating that many of the workers have gone home for the Eid celebration.

This is acceptable for remember most of the workers hired by Simplex are from outside the State.

The company has also pointed to the frequent bandhs and blockades which have impacted on the work progress.

This too is acceptable, but remember one here is talking about a construction work which has dragged on since 2011/2012 and there is no indication when it can be completed.

Forget about the finishing touch, such as electric wire fitting, water supply arrangements, the paths which need to be black topped inside the Secretariat complex etc, even the construction work of the building itself seems to be far from nearing completion.

Obviously it was after taking cognizance of the report published in The Sangai Express that Works Commissioner K Radhakumar convened a review meeting on September 12 to study the work progress of the Civil Secretariat and conducted a spot inspection of the work progress.

There must be a reason why the senior IAS officer struck a tough pose and told the construction company to finish the work in time or face annulment.

This is not to brush aside the explanation of Simplex, for remember how the culture of bandh and blockade has affected every aspect of life in Manipur but yes the Government need to keep a sharp eye and study the work progress more minutely.

Laying the foundation stone is but just the beginning, is a point which should not be lost on anyone.