Manipur Congress criticizes BJP govt for curtailing fund for road project

IMPHAL: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Thursday came down heavily on Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for allocating fewer funds for road projects in the state than what was sanctioned in the Annual Report of 2021. Gadkari was recently in the state to lay the foundation stone of 16 national highway projects along with a river bridge.

The Manipur Congress said that the BJP government which claims to take a special interest in the development of the northeastern region has sanctioned Rs. 14.04 crore which was Rs. 2.19 crore less for every kilometer. In the recently released Annual Report of 2021 of the Ministry has awarded Rs. 2,939 cr. for 181 km, which is Rs. 16.23 cr. per km in the state.

It also said that the Union Minister’s public statements against the Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on the question of slow speed in the progress of work, maintenance of quality standards, desire for honesty in work and remarks on leadership, have been consistently praised by Congress.

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Questioning the Union Minister on the allocation of funds for plantation along the highways and its maintenance, Ningombam Bupenda Meitei,  spokesperson of Manipur Congress has asked the ministry to reveal data on auditing of planted trees under the Green Highways Policy.

As per the Green Highways (Plantation, Transportation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy, 2015, 1% of the total cost of all highway projects was to be kept aside for the highway plantation and its maintenance.

The government was supposed to count every planted tree using ISRO’s Bhuvan and GAGAN Satellite systems. The total cost of all the highway projects in Manipur is Rs. 8203 for 864 km.

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