Imphal, November 27 2009: Along with taking up necessary measures to improve the condition of roads and bridges, the Government of Manipur has decided to deploy two battalions of IRB for the protection of Imphal-Dimapur Road and one more IRB battalion to ensure interrupted construction work of the Loktak Downstream Project.

According to an official source, there has been lot of progress in the works related to extension of railway line from Jiribam to Imphal and if there is no obstruction from any quarters then Imphal would be connected with rail line very soon.

Besides the progress of the works from Jiribam side, necessary measures have been taken up to start the work from Tupul side as well, the source disclosed.

Extension of the railway line from Jiribam to Tupul, which would later on extended upto Imphal, is being implemented as a National Project of the Government of India.

Now there is also no more apprehension that experts from outside may be hesitant from coming to Manipur for drilling tunnels along the 98 km long road stretch in view of the prevailing law and order situation.

After two firms including one which had the experience of drilling long tunnels within a short time in Jammu & Kashmir have applied for the work, invitation of tender too has been completed.

So there is bound to be progress in the construction of the rail line, the source asserted.

The objection/opposition to the requisition of land by the Government at three points along the proposed Jiribam-Tupul route has also been settled amicably, the source added.

Construction of the rail line from Jiribam to Tupul is to be completed in the first phase of the project.

The opposition to the land acquisition related to the ownership of the land.

So with the assistance of the law court, the matter would be settled and the Government has kept aside the required fund for giving compensation to the real owner of the land.

The opposing party, however, has no objection to the construction of the rail line.

So it would not affect the progress of the work at all, the source explained.

In the second phase of the project, the rail line is to be extended upto Imphal.

For this the Government has been making efforts to complete survey of the rail route by March next year, the source added.

On the other hand, along with paying serious attention to the improvement of the Imphal-Dimapur road which is regarded as the main lifeline of Manipur, the Government has taken up necessary steps to ensure security along the route.

Out of the three battalions of IRB that the Centre has approved during the recent two round of meetings that Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had with the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram at New Delhi, two battalions would be deployed along ImphalDimapur Road, the source disclosed.

During the meetings, the Union Home Minister took serious note of the law and order problem in Manipur and gave his assurance on not only extension of every possible assistance in containing the problem but approved setting up of three new IRB battalions, the source added.

The Chief Minister had, however, pressed for four battalions, two for deployment along Imphal-Dimapur Road, one for Tipaimukh Project and another for Loktak Downstream Project.

But in view of certain problems with regard to Tipaimukh Project, only three battalions have been sanctioned, the source informed.

On the security scenario of the State, the source further informed that steps have been taken up for deployment of one IRB battalion in every hill districts and upgrading all the police stations in both the hill and the valley districts very soon.

According to another official source, necessary works have been taken up for improvement of all the National Highways passing through the State including some problematic portions along Imphal-Dimapur, Moreh and Churachandpur Road during the working season.

Among these routes, construction work from near Airport Road to Churachandpur had been stalled due to some problems.

Nonetheless, efforts are being made to resolve it.

As for the problem along Imphal-Dimapur Road, it is due to the objection raised by the Ministries concerned over the qualification of the construction firms.

So, the State Government has requested the Centre for some relaxation in this regard in consideration of the fact that outside firms may not be willing to come to Manipur in view of the prevailing situation here, the source added.

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