Newmai News Network Imphal | May 2 Once the rainy season sets in it will be hard for the workers to carry out repairing works of the road. The Manipur Government agencies have just weeks in hand to finish the job or else transporters will experience another spell of difficult time as they have to wait for next dry season. Scores of lives have been claimed along this highway in recent time. Landslides or potholes which often occur or dot all along the highway from the Manipur-Nagaland border till Kangpokpi district have been giving nightmarish experiences to the commuters all these years. "Landslides, mud and potholes in wet season while in dry season it is dust or bumpy ride," said a driver. Feeling the pulse of the commuters, the N Biren Singh government has decided to begin the spade work any day. For that, a cabinet minister had inspected the condition of the national highway till Mao section yesterday. Meanwhile, a DIPR press release said that Manipur Works Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh while inspecting the condition of the Mao section of the National Highway 2 yesterday said that filling up of potholes along this section especially along the Tadubi to Maram stretch will be initiated in a day or two if the weather condition allows. Stating that the Mao section of the highway is considered the lifeline of the State, the Minister elaborated yesterday’s tour was made to inspect the deplorable condition of the highway section and to see what needs to be taken up before the arrival of the monsoon season so that the plights of the drivers and people plying along the road are minimised, the press note added. He continued, if the weather condition improves in the next few days, filling up of potholes along the highway section especially in the Tadubi to Maram stretch will be taken up on a priority basis and complete the process within two-three months and make the road “traffic worthy”, the DIPR press note stated. He further said, in the second phase more development works will be taken up along the whole stretch of the highway including construction of drainage systems and culverts. This will be followed by four laning of the highway, he continued. The Minister also said that work on the highway has been assigned to only the state PWD and the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Stressing that the objective of the new government is to bring a change in the State, Minister Biswajit said it is the responsibility of the government to provide good roads and improve the economy of the people and not just inspect road conditions on receiving complaints. It is the priority of the new government to visit all places of the State and reach out to the people and improve their condition, he added. Regarding the recent issue on the non-maintenance of quality in construction of a road in Ukhrul, the Minister said the work is not under the purview of the PWD. It was taken up by a private firm Bharti Infrastructure Construction Company under the NHIDCL, he said, and further added that the State government has already urged the concerned authorities to look into the issue and check whether the fault lies with the contractor or whether it happened due to lack of supervision and to take necessary actions if required. The Minister, who was accompanied by engineers including the State PWD Chief Engineer and other concerned officials, also inspected some spots affected by land sliding along the highway, according to the DIPR press release.
