No government fund for IT – Road in Manipur

52-Tamei local MLA and Minister Awangbow Newmai recently repaired the IT road from Chalwa to Tamei, approximately 25kms. Source said that there is no government fund for repairing of this road and seeing the suffering of public, the minister repaired by filling potholes and cleaning up landslide.

The road was lying with pathetic condition for many years now and this raining season completely damaged few portions where vehicular moment was difficult and no passenger vehicle willing to ply which added more difficulties to the public during COVID-19 pandemic.

Citizens in the constituency give a heart full thanks to the generous good will mission carry out by the minister and civil society specially the Liangmai Naga Council (LNC) banned all heavy trucks from plying.       

IT Road gallery, repaired and present

Opinion and grievance

IT Road contracts were given to contracters, from time to time, to build, repairs or expand, to local contractors, like any other road contracts.

When a road contract is given out by the govt., contracters would bid as part of the tender procedure, and the lowest bidder usually wins the offers. Typical tender process. No doubt there is lot of political lobby involved.

In the bid the contracters would specify, fulfilling all the technical requirements ie.:

  1. Thickness of the road to be constructed. Usually 5 to 10 inches thick.
  2. materials to be used, layer by layer, in the road. Few inches layers of Biggest stones/rocks in the base, followed by soil layer of few inches, followed by some Peebles of few inches, followed by final top layer tar with stone pebbles etc. All the costing calculated as part of the tender process.
  3. Roadside Nala specifications. With all the cost associated.
  4. Width of the road
  5. Distance of the road to be covered, as part of the contract etc.
  6. Full fledged budget specifications for the above mentioned points.

The road is supposed to be all weather roads and should have lasted some years.

How many times a contract has been given out by the govt for the same road, and repaired and build may be all in govt file. One may file am RTI and find out, to see if specifications were followed, and by which contracters over a period of time.

Accountability is empowering. It all depends on the local people, and local voluntary civil society org., the will to do right, and the IT road would have been good, with no complaints, unlike what we are witnessing today.

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