Imphal, February 03 2010: Works minister, K Ranjit today reiterated his appeal to the striking Senapati District Students' Association to withdraw its indefinite economic blockade stating that the improvement works of the stretch of the NH-39 from Senapati to Mao has already started.

Speaking at a cultural carnival of Paomei tribe at Chilivai village in Senapati district, the minister said that there is no question of government neglecting the Imphal-Mao section of the NH-39 that passes through the state.

The 23 kilometer long stretch of the highway from Maram to Mao which was handled by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) 34 year back has been taken back by the state government as BRO could not develop the road upto the expected level.

The stretch is now under the state PWD, Ranjit informed the gathering.

Even though the state government took over the responsibility, due to backlog of fund sanctioned earlier, Centre is yet to sanction fresh funds for the improvement of the highway, he said.

At the same, he also said that Union Ministry of Surface Transports had sanctioned Rs 50 crore for improvement works of the stretch of the highway from Senapati to Mao.

But there was a delay of five months in calling pre-tender due to some technical defects in the tender process.

Despite all this, state government earmarked Rs 53 lakh for taking up road improvement works for the time being so that the road can be used during the coming rainy season.

With this fund, authority has started taken up improvement works, he added.

If the economic blockade continues, it will amount to delay in the improvement works, Ranjit observed appealing to the striking body to call-off the blockade considering the difficulties faced by the people.

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