Rs. 19 crore earmarked for infrastructure development in new districts: Temba

IMPHAL, April 19, 2018 (DIPR): A total of Rs. 19 crore has been earmarked from the Budget Estimate 2017-18 for Public Administrative Building for development of infrastructure of the newly created seven districts including Rs. 5 crore each for Kakching, Kamjong and Noney and Rs. One crore each for Tengnoupal, Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Pherzwal.

This was stated by Public Works Department Chief Engineer Shri Kh. Temba Singh during the afternoon session of today’s press conference held at the Moirangkhom office of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations. The series of press conference is organised by the DIPR.

The State Public Works Department began as a sub-division of the CPWD whose headquarter was at Shillong in 1891 and was upgraded to a Division office in 1949.

The State PWD, being the premier agency of the government executes, operates all the works of new construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in the State of Manipur except roads under jurisdiction of BRO, NHIDCL and Rural Engineering Department, RED.

The Chief Engineer highlighted that most of the Inter Village Roads are today under the jurisdiction of the RED, although a few are still under the PWD. The total length of roads in the State according to the Basic Road Statistics of India by the end of March 2016 including National Highways, NEC, BRTF, PMGSY and Local Governing Body Roads is 20002.645 km.

Construction of the 103.02 km long Imphal-Kangchup-Tamenglong Road under the SASEC Road Connectivity Improvement Program under Asian Development Bank funding has already been sanctioned and work is under progress, he said.

Five works have been taken up under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources as on-going work. The Ministry of DoNER, Government of India has also sanctioned the improvement of Koirengei to Sekmai Road i/c bridge approach from Sangakpham to Salanthong with an approved cost of Rs. 20.67 crore during 2017-18.

Under the Central Road Fund, 13 works are going on and six other works have also been sanctioned by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways during 2017-18.

Two works which include connecting Mao-Tadubi to Nagaland and Churachandpur to Mizoram are also in progress under the Inter State Connectivity Scheme.

The Chief Engineer also said that under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, 10 works which include three road works and seven bridges have been taken up. Seven works are also going on under the NEC funds. Under the North Eastern State Road Investment Program, two roads Tupul o Bishnupur and Thoubal to KasomKhullen are in progress.

The total length of National Highways in the State is 1741.795 out of which the length under the PWD is just 552.815 km. and the length under the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. Is 608.780 km. while the remaining 580.200 km. is under the BRO.

Along the Imphal-Jiribam Highway, the department has jurisdiction over the Imphal to Oriental College gate stretch only.

At the same time, the department also takes up construction and improvement of government quarters under the Rental Housing and the budget provision for 2017-18 is Rs.8 crore.

The Chief Engineer also said that the department also plays an important role in construction of infrastructure in the tourism sector. He said that the department is also involved in the development of Tourist Resort at Sendra, repairing of earthquake affected EmaKeithels, development of Shri Shri Govindaji temple, Construction of Judicial Academy at Pangei and Infrastructure of JNIMS as Deposit Works.

Concerned with the issue of quality control in executed works, the department has set field labs at work sites of major works. Construction of a laboratory at the PWD campus is also under process, he said.

The press conference, moderated by Director IPR Shri Heisnam Balkrisna Singh, was also attended by Chief Engineer Building Shri N Noren Singh, Addl Chief Engineer III Shri T.RabindrakumarSingh, Additional CE-II Shri N Subhasand SE (NH Circle) Shri Y. Joykumar Singh.