Contractor’s body urges government to monitor NH-37 construction, demands to blacklist ‘Avantika’

Imphal: Hills and Plains Contractors Association has urged chief minister N. Biren Singh and Works minister K.Govindas Singh to monitor the National Highway-37 (Imphal-Jiribam) road construction and demanded to blacklist the ‘Avantika’ for not maintaining quality.

Joint secretary of Hills and Plains Contractors Association, Mayanglambam Sarat Singh on Wednesday told reporters during an inspection along NH-37 at Awang Khunou Lamkhai, Imphal West that a team of association came to inspect after a media report on the road block carried by the locals in the area for the last 2/3 days.

He said the association agreed the protest on road block along NH-37 by the locals of the area.

Sarat said the association also witnessed the highway construction without maintaining quality. He alleged that the construction company, Avantika is constructing the road by not following certain criteria to be constructed on a national highway.

The association also found that the construction company is also not following proper guidelines in black topping. He appealed the chief minister and works minister to inspect the ongoing road construction work along NH-37.

If the government fails to monitor the construction work in time then the national highway will become a vulnerable road, said Sarat.

One of the locals of Awang Khunou Lamkhai  Khumanthem Bobo told reporters that the culvert constructed in the area which is also known as ‘Haobidong Thong’ started breaking down in mere 2-3 months.

The construction company repaired the culvert but without maintaining proper quality, he added.

Locals of Sagoltongba area also blocked NH-37 for incompletion of road construction in time and for not maintaining proper quality. The road block has been continuing for the last 3 days. There has been no response from the government.