The Second Lifeline
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 28, 2012 -

Deplorable condition of National Highway 37 (NH-37) Imphal - Jiribam Road on July 2012 :: Pix - Mongjam Abhiram

The pitiable condition of the Imphal-Jiribam stretch of the National Highway 37 is one again in the news.

Apart from the latest outburst of Transporters and Drivers Committee (TDC), Manipur over the slow progress of the work being taken up under the supervision of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), what has caught the attention of the public is the announcement of TDC that a 'failure report' on the performance of the Monitoring Committee for NH-37 would be submitted to the Gauhati High Court.

We may recalled here that the Monitoring Committee for NH-37 was formed to monitor the progress of the work being taken up under the supervision of BRO following an order passed by the Gauhati High Court in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in August last year.

Subsequently, the Monitoring Committee which is supposed to comprise one SE (Civil) or one nominated by Chief Engineer (Civil), PWD; one police officer not below the rank of DIG; one Senior Advocate of Gauhati High Court; Commander of BRTF, GREF-HQ-765; Director of Transport, Government of Manipur; Chief Engineer or his representative of NF Railways; Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong district and General Secretary of TDC, conducted an inspection tour to assess the condition of National Highway stretch and submitted a report to the court.

Even as public are dark over what has happened to that report, TDC has now charged BRO with 'complete failure' in expediting work along the National Highway stretch from Imphal to Jiribam and TDC with forgetting its responsibility and coming under the influence of BRO.

This is indeed a very serious charge and it calls for a thorough investigation into the alleged conduct or misconduct of the Monitoring Committee.

There is also something very poignant in the observation of TDC that the Government of Manipur should not remain indifferent anymore thinking that the work of improving the National Highway stretch is the responsibility of BRO, and that it should do away with the habit of remembering the second lifeline of the state only when there is some bandh or blockade along National Highway.

Interestingly, the latest outburst of TDC has come within a week of MP of Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Dr T Meinya drawing the attention of the Centre to the urgent need for improvement of the Imphal-Jiribam section of the National Highway as an all-weather road.

The MP had also made it clear that the topography of the land over which the road passes through may be one of the stumbling blocks, but when the same excuses stretches on for years then it can no longer be taken as valid.

So, the question now is what is stopping the state government or the Central government from taking BRO to task over its alleged slackness on developing the National Highway stretch which is just 222 kms long ?