Imphal, January 08: Even as the Deputy Commissioner of Chandel Norbert Disinang has prevailed upon Anal Naga Students' Union, Chandel to defer its proposed bandh along Pallel-Chandel Road till January 10, Chandel Contractors' Association has resolved to cease all works related to repairing of the said road with effect from January 11, if the State Government does not release Rs 24 crores sanctioned by the Centre under Additional Central Assistance (ACS) for the same purpose within January 10.Talking to mediapersons at Chandel today, information and publicity secretary of the Association, Rockson said that so far contractors have been shelling out the money from their own pockets for repairing the 19 km long road as the Government has not released the required fund.

Now it is beyond the capacity and means of the contractors to carry on with the work.

So if the State Government do not release the already sanctioned fund amounting to Rs 24 crores under the Additional Central Assistance by the Centre within January 10, we would have no option but to cease work from the following day, Rockson said.

Meanwhile, Anal Naga Students' Union, Chandel has agreed to call off its ongoing indefinite bandh along Pallel-Chandel Road till January 10 following a joint meeting with Deputy Commissioner Norbert Disinang at the latter's office today.

During the meeting which was also attended by representatives of Chandel Contractors' Association, Chandel Naga People's Organisation, District Chief and Public Grievances Forum, Chandel, etc, the Deputy Commissioner disclosed that a sum of Rs 10 crores has also been sanctioned for the purpose of repairing the road and appealed all concerned to call of any form of agitation along the said road so that the work could be expedited.

It may be recalled that in one his official trips to Chandel district on October 26 last year, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had assured the people of the district that repairing of Pallel-Chandel road would be completed within December or latest by the current month.

In the course of the joint meeting, District Chiefs and Public Grievances Forum, Chandel expressed apprehension that the fund sanctioned for the purpose of repairing the road might have been diverted for the purpose of procuring bitumen and demanded that a clarification in this regard within January 10.Otherwise, the Forum also warned of launching agitation along with Anal Naga Students' Union.

While observing that the condition of the road some 15 years back was definitely better than what it is today, the Deputy Commissioner assured that contractors of doing the needful to contact the Works Commissioner and Chief Engineer concerned so that the required fund are released at the earliest possible. Before Anal Naga Students' Union agreed to call off the bandh, barricades were erected at various points along the route by the bandh supporters.

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