ITANAGAR, 23 Jul: The All-Arunachal Contractor’s Welfare Association (AACWA) has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pema Khandu for the immediate shifting of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) from Tezpur, Assam, to its designated office in Itanagar.
In a representation submitted to the Chief Minister on Wednesday, the Association urged him to take up the matter with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to ensure the timely relocation of the MoRTH Regional Office to Itanagar for better monitoring of developmental works under MoRTH projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
The AACWA stated that the primary purpose of establishing a regional office of MoRTH in each jurisdiction, and deploying an officer in each state, is to enable timely monitoring of the progress of works being executed under MoRTH. “The delay in the Package-B road works (Papu Nallah to Nirjuli) is due to the lack of proper monitoring by the MoRTH officer,” the Association said, adding that, “If the MoRTH Regional Officer performs his duties from Itanagar, it will indirectly help local unemployed youth by providing opportunities to engage in MTS jobs.”
Furthermore, the Association highlighted that many state contractors working under the jurisdiction of the MoRTH Regional Office in Itanagar are facing unnecessary difficulties with paperwork, as they are required to travel to Tezpur in Assam.
“Many central government offices, such as NHIDCL and CPWD, are fully operational from their designated locations in Itanagar. However, the MoRTH Regional Office has failed to function from its assigned office,” the representation stated.