KOLORIANG, Jul 9: The Kurung Kumey district administration held a meeting here on Thursday with the construction agencies regarding the pathetic condition of the roads in the district.
DC Kento Riba said the roads’ condition has impacted adversely the movement of army convoys to the border posts. He requested the NHIDCL and the contractors to alleviate the sufferings of the jawans and other commuters by making the Joram to Koloriang stretch of the highway more motorable.
He advised the sub-contractors of the TK Engineering Constructions Pvt Ltd to shift their stone/boulder debris from the roadsides to one specific location, in order to facilitate traffic movement. He suggested to them to identify and locate a crusher point, and to transport the stones/boulders there.
The DC also noted with deep concern the haphazard parking of off-road vehicles of the contractors, and observed that they are hazardous to the safety of the people who come to steal parts, and also to little children who play near them. He advised penning the vehicles in a central location, and also auctioning them off to private bidders. He said doing so would help avoid complexities that may result from any untoward accident or incident due to the parking of these off-road vehicles and other heavy machineries in the proximity of people’s reach.
The sub-contractors, Chera Babin and Tai Tajik, spoke about the various local problems they have had to face in the course of their works. They suggested early acquisition of land at the bridge point which has two houses, saying it is posing a big hurdle to them in conducting risky manoeuvres, such as blasting works.
The DC assured to direct the land department to act promptly. He also advised the two contractors to not compromise while cutting the highway within the township area, and asked them to strictly abide by the RoW.
NHIDCL GM Prabhakar Kumar assured to complete the maintenance work on the Joram to Koloriang stretch within a period of four to five days. He informed that even as he was speaking, repair and maintenance along the Deed-Dem-New Pania road was progressing. On the road between the Kra Daadi gate and Meer bridge, five bad patches were identified, out of which two were already repaired and the rest were also in the process of being repaired with the support of the district administration, he said.
The GM requested the administration to initiate the process of recovering the amounts paid to certain departments, like the department of power and others, whose assets were not within the purview of the RoW but were nonetheless inadvertently paid compensation money. He informed the house that the same amount could be utilized by the district administration “to settle new cases where fresh assessment is made, maintaining transparency.”
Prabhakar also assured to transfer some amount of money to the district administration to meet expenses that would be incurred to pay off landowners who had been previously left out. He said he would give it in writing to the district administration, if need be, to follow up such cases and settle them at the earliest.
The GM also informed that parallel actions are being sought to be initiated against the firms responsible for the tardy progress of the Joram to Koloriang highway. He said that “within a period of three to four months, some good news would be shared with all, as by then NHIDCL would team up with a good partner who will work with good speed,” but it would still be subject to legal disputes.
The general manager also requested the district administration to help the local contractors in inducting more labourers from outside, to which the DC assured to set up a dedicated help-desk to facilitate issuance of permits and other services.
On the matter of shifting of electrical poles, the DC assured the GM that “it would be done in short notice, whenever required, as the department of power has already been adequately compensated and paid for the shifting works.”
The NHIDCL GM assured to complete the Joram to Koloriang road within a period of two years, “provided works are executed with good speed.” (DIPRO)
