IMPHAL, Sept 18 NNN: The Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) said it felt extremely dissatisfied with the incomplete construction of suspension bridge constructed over the river Barak between Dikiuram and Katang village in Tamei assembly constituency despite the fact of exhaustion of fund amounting to Rs.4 crores released by North Eastern Council (NEC) under DoNER.
According to the ZYF, apart from the fund amounting to Rs.4 crores released under NEC, it is learnt that the State government had given additional fund of Rs.50 lakhs for the said incomplete bridge under Special Plan Assistance.
“During the course of execution of the work, there has been frequent transferred of Executive Engineer of NEC Manipur Division. The official of NEC on many occasions assured the ZYF that the bridge will be completed very soon. However, there is still no sign of completion of the said bridge till date as the work of laying wooden plank and approach road is yet to commence,” the ZYF rued.
It may be pertinent to mention that similar suspension bridge construction work implemented by PWD Tamenglong Division, under the NEC of DoNER ministry, commenced in the same time, constructed on another point of location over the river Barak between Namtiram village was inaugurated and commission in the month of April this year, the ZYF said.
The PWD, Govt. of Manipur in a workshop held on 7th-8th August, 2013 at Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Imphal, with the theme “Road Connectivity in Hill districts” did not include the said suspension bridge constructed between Dikiuram and Katang among the lists of ongoing projects and incomplete works funded by NEC. But when asked to Chief Engineer, who was the resource person for the technical session during the workshop “why it was not mention”, he response it, “the said suspension bridge was completed therefore, no need for inclusion in the ongoing and incomplete work lists”.It is suspected that the State Govt. is deliberately adopted tardy progress of construction work of the said suspension bridge on the reason that the bridge will play pivotal role in facilitating transportation, improve economical condition of the people and enhance better communication between Tamenglong district and Nagaland.
The ZYF then alleged that the State government not completing the work despite the fact of fund being exhausted is a fit case of fraudulent, cheating, misappropriation, misutilization etc. of public development fund. “Therefore, the ZYF demands for immediate probe by one of the investigating agencies of the government of India why work was not completed despite the fund being exhausted. Memorandum will also be submitted urging the DoNER Ministry to wake up from slumber,” it warned.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/zyf-demands-completion-of-bridges/
