Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 19 2010:
Transporters' and Drivers' Council (TDC) has welcomed the Union Home Secretary's announcement of making the NH-53 as a first class highway but expressed the need for assessment to the working of the Border Road Task (BRO) .
"We expressed our sincere thanks to the Centre's investment of Rs 300 crore for improvement of NH-53 but how BRO is utilizing the fund released to them needs to be examined by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs," TDC president, H Ranjit insisted.
He was speaking to reporters at a press conference at its office today.
It is a well known fact from the past experiences that BRO took out fund without doing actual field work.
Keeping this in mind MHA needs to have a close vigilance on their working, he suggested.
He also alleged that BRO officials submitted a wrong report of engaging 100 workers of the Organisation in the maintenance and repairing of the Imphal-Jiribam section of the NH-53 .
If Union home Secretary conducts a field inspection on the highway, he will come to know the truth of revelation.
Besides, if the Centre has a firm stand on making the NH-53 comparable with international standard, the funding ministry or MHA is needed to inspect the stretch every month.
With regard to the stand of the TDC on the plying of their trucks on the NH-53, he said the restriction imposed on the state vehicles travelling on this route is still in force.
They will take up action against those violating the restriction.
Ranjit also blamed that IOC and Central government for petroleum product scarcity in the state.
The scarcity is being created by the insincere service of the IOC to the people of the state.
MHA officials should know that while MHA conducts drive against black marketers, the problem will not be able to solve, he added.