[ Bengia Ajum ]
NEW DELHI, 15 Oct: The union ministry of road, transport & highways (MoRTH) has said that steps will be taken to ensure that tangible results are visible in the construction of Package B (Papu Nallah to Nijurli section) of the four-lane highway connecting Itanagar with neighbouring Assam.
MoRTH Director General (Road Development) Dharmananda Sarangi, while expressing concern over the slow pace of work in this section, said that that action will be initiated by the end of November,so that change is visible on the ground.
The DG gave the assurance during a meeting with Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia here on Tuesday. Rebia had recently surveyed the Package B section of the Itanagar to Banderdewa four-lane highway project and expressed dismay over the slow progress of the work. Taking the matter to the MoRTH DG, Rebia held a detailed discussion on the condition of various ongoing road projects of the ministry in Arunachal Pradesh, with focus on Package B, and demanded that appropriate action be initiated against the defaulting contractor.
Further, the MP cautioned the MoRTH not to commit a similar mistake while awarding work for the construction of the Frontier Highway in the state. He also drew the director general’s attention to the poor condition of the road in state capital Itanagar. The slow progress of work on the Package B section of the four-lane highway has made life miserable for the people of the Itanagar Capital Region.
“There is an urgent need to speed up the work on this section. These days we dread driving on the stretch between Papu Nallah and Nirjuli. We request the contractor and the PWD highway to understand our pain and take the initiative to speed up the work,” said a resident of Nirjuli.
Package B (Papu Nallah to Nirjuli) is 11.3 kms long and it includes a 3.950-kilometre-long two-lane flyover from the Benjamin Hotel in Papu Nallah to Kangkarnallah in Naharlagun. The work is being executed by M/s Woodhill Shivam in a joint venture with M/s TK Consortium Pvt Ltd.
