Dust covered NH 37 causing untold miseries to villagers
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 31 2011: Adding to the miseries caused by the ongoing economic blockades, the condition of the NH 37 which has become the most important lifeline of the state is still no better with dusts covering the whole stretch causing untold miseries to the villagers dwelling alongside the highway.

The situation was witnessed during a visit organised by the Information Centre for Hills Area from October 29 to 31 to assess the renovation work of the highway being carried out by the Border Road Organisation (BRO).

According to villagers along the highway, the condition of the highway from Nungba to Keimai and Keiphundai is at its worst with dusts covering the stretch.

The only better part of the highway is the section from Imphal to Noney, told villagers.

It is more like a duststorm whenever a column of goods trucks passed the highway causing many hardships to the villagers alongside the stretch.

Uttam, an engineer of the BRO told the team that the road repairing team is facing acute shortage of water which hampers the repairing work.

However, stone chip is not a problem for the team.

He has been assigned to look after the repairing work for a stretch of 20 km and he told that he is uncertain about when the repairing work will be completed.

Secretary Keiphundai Village Authority, John Gangmei said that the repairing work of the highway has been handed over to the BRO since long.

Despite of the full cooperation from the side of the villagers the progress of the repairing work by the BRO is not satisfactory since one can hardly see any progress in the process.

Stone chips for the repairing work are also being provided by the village authority at free of cost to the BRO officials.

BRO uses minimal number of labours as compared to the ongoing work of railway project, which is the main reason behind the slow progress, he said.

Railway officials give Rs 5000 per month to the village authority for providing stone chips.

However, BRO never paid anything to the village authority for the stones they provided.

President, Zeliangrong Women's Union Manipur, Aniliu Gangmei told the team that the present progress of the repairing work of the NH 37 will not meet the scheduled target of 2013 .

President, ICHAM N Rajendro told reporters that BRO is insincere in carrying out the repairing work of the national highway.

According to a statement of the Defence Ministry made available to the Chief Minister of Manipur, BRO is said to be using 1280 labours in the repairing work of the highway.

On the contrary, very few labours were seen engaged in the repairing work as compared to the report of the Defence Ministry.

BRO had intimated the Ministry that they faced shortage of stone and the villagers also do not offer much cooperation which is totally false with the real situation along the highway where the villagers have extended full cooperation and also provide stones at free of cost.

BRO has handed over the repairing work from Makru to Kaimai area to one Gautam Construction Private Ltd and from Keimai to Barak to one MBCI.

While officials and labours of Gautam Construction Pvt Ltd were seen arriving at the work site, no officials and labours of MBCI could not bee seen till date, he said adding that the Centre had sanctioned around Rs 300 crores for the year 2010-11 .

Expressing serious concern over the slow progress of the repairing work being carried out by BRO, General Secretary, Kabui Mothers' Association, Ranjita Golmei appealed to the BRO to speed their progress since the highway is the most important lifeline of the state.

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