EMN
Dimapur, October 28
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang today directed the PWD (Roads & Bridges) department to urgently repair the roads in and around the capital city.
In an emergency meeting with the minister and officials of Roads and Bridges department this morning at the residential office of the Chief Minister, Zeliang urged the department to take up the works departmentally and to ensure quality of the works.
According to Media Cell, CMO, an amount of Rs 8.45 crore has been available to the department from Non-Plan and the Chief Minister asked the department to take up the works on a war-footing.
He also requested the minister concerned to personally supervise the works so that quality is ensured and also the roads are improved before the festive season.
Earlier in the morning, the chief minister had a meeting with the BRO and asked the organisation to do repair works on the stretch that falls under it and was assured by the BRO that works would begin by October 30.Later in the afternoon, the chief minister chaired a meeting with various departments regarding the upcoming Hornbill Festival. Departments of Power, PHE and Home were instructed to make arrangements for proper supply of power and water at the venue of the festival. The home department was also asked to ensure proper regulation of traffic in the town as well as in the festival site Kisama.
Chief minister had also asked all the government departments to gear up for the success of the Hornbill Festival. He also insisted that the various items to be presented should be based on quality. Stalls too, should be properly managed and displayed, he said. “We need quality, not quantity,” he added.
A separate statement informed that a meeting on the issue of repairs of roads in Kohima town raised by AYO on October 21 was discussed in detail at the CM’s Residential Office today.
The BRO official informed that in February 2015 the entire stretch of the said road was repaired but during the monsoons the roads were destroyed. The BRO official also said that the rains were not an issue as such but the water pipes, leakages and blocked drainages due to rampant throwing of garbage and construction material on the roadsides mainly contributed to the problem.
The BRO official further said that they do not have the financial sanction in the current financial year for the stretch of road in question as it was fully repaired early this year but at the request of the Chief Minister, the BRO will start the repairs beginning October 30.
The Chief Minister directed the BRO to complete the repairs within two weeks from the start of repairs. CM also directed the State PWD to coordinate with the BRO to develop paved shoulders in Kohima town area. Minister PWD (R&B) assured that the State PWD will undertake the necessary repairs of the important State roads in Kohima town.
The meeting was attended by officials of Road & Bridges (R&B), National Highway, Municipal Affair Cell (MAC) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).