No instruction has been received from the headquarter of National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) or concerned ministry to stop the construction work of National highway-37 (Imphal- Jiribam) road from Oriental college gate to Keithelmanbi, NHIDCL, Noney division, general manager Ashutosh Mishra said.
Ashutosh told Imphal Free Press over the phone that he is aware of the intervention of construction work of NH-37 along the stretch from Oriental College gate to Keithelmanbi. He said as per instruction from the headquarter, the construction is for two lanes only and no official instruction from the concerned ministry or its headquarters has been received to stop the construction work till date.
He said it is not in his hand to stop or continue the construction work without the instruction from ministry or headquarters. Till date, no official instruction for upgradation of construction of four lane has been received. However, the drain constructed on both sides of the highway along the stretch will be shifted but the road construction works will continue, Ashutosh said.
Local MLA of Patsoi assembly constituency had expressed earlier, in the media during a visit of the road, that it has already been approved for construction of 4-lane road instead of 2 lanes. He also expressed that he will personally intervene in the road construction work until a solution is brought between the state government and the ministry concerned.
Meanwhile, in connection with the road construction work, Imphal West Deputy Commissioner, Th Kiramkumar had issued an eviction order on November 20 last year. In the order, it is mentioned that land acquisition of Imphal-Khongsang (along Imphal Jiribam national highway) has been finalised and will be done on 24 metres Right of Way (ROW) instead of 45 metres.
It further mentioned that the field survey has been conducted by the concerned revenue officials of the district to identify the encroachers within the 24 metres ROW and the list of encroachers have been submitted to concerned Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs). It also instructed the SDOs of Patsoi, Lamphel and Lamshang sub-divisions to execute the order at their respective areas with the assistance of state police personnel.
