Imphal-Jiribam h'way stretch remains in bad shape

The Imphal-Jiribam stretch of National Highway 37 will not be fit for an international car rally when the Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar car rally enters the State on February 26 from Kolkata. Though the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been maintaining that the Ministry concerned, in this case the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has not sanctioned anything to repair a 26 km stretch of the said highway for the car rally, it has come to light that a sum of Rs 45 crore was recently sanctioned.

There are around 10 spots/stretches on the highway which are in pitiable conditions. This include the stretch from 120 km to 121 km on the highway and from 122 km to 126 km near Nungba.

It is said that the BRO did submit the revised cost estimate and detailed project report to repair 41 km, between Irang and Kambiron, of the highway to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways last year.

Though the sanction was not given immediately, the BRO did start work on 15 km and managed to black top it. The remaining stretch of the 26 km was left unattended and even now there is nothing to suggest that some work has been initiated even though the amount of Rs 45 crore was sanctioned recently.