Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 16
Minister for Roads & Bridges, Y Vikheho Swu and his team inspected the progress of the ongoing construction of international trade road, also known as Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road connecting Avakhung village under Meluri Sub-Division in Phek and Chera-Layshee in Myanmar.
A stretch of about 24 km has been cut across the thick forest from Avakhung till the border on other side.
Swu along with Minister for School Education and SCERT, Yitachu and Parliamentary Secretary for Industries and Commerce Amenba Yaden and Chief Engineer of Road and Bridges Department Tali paid a visit to the construction site, which is over 300 km from the state capital by road on April 14.
The specification is 3.5 meters but contractor M/S Viu Angami & Sons has almost done 5 meters, he said. The roads & bridges minister said a lot of things still have to be done, adding that carpeting has not done yet.
Contractor Viu Angami briefed the visiting delegates about the progress of the road, which has already got through on both sides, but needs realignment of barely about 2 km due to steepness of the road near Mount Pellang.
“I am satisfied with the progress of the road sponsored by the Central Government under North Eastern Council (NEC), which has already been interconnected from both sides, but about 2 km stretch on Mount Pellang has to be realigned as it is very steep and not viable commercial vehicles to ply,” Vikheho said.
Lauding the work of the contractor for satisfactorily taking the fresh cutting on this side of the border, he expressed the hope that the re-aligned 2 km stretch is likely to be completed and the entire road ready for inauguration by end of November this year.
MLA of Meluri Sub-Division and Minister Yitachu said once the two countries are inter-connected through the friendship road, it has good prospects to not only develop trade and commerce but also strengthen the relationship between India and Myanmar. “We (India) have the prospects of supplying textile, medicine, vehicle parts, agricultural machineries and other hardware while the Saigaing region in Myanmar has surplus rice, fish and live stock,” he said.
He said that linkage between other South East Asian countries can also be strengthened. He also expressed happiness that despite the steepness at Mount Pellang, a Tata Mobile loaded with health drink managed to come this side recently. Nonetheless, Yitachu hoped that once the re-aligned fresh cutting is completed and the road inaugurated at an appropriate time, trade and commerce and friendship will be boosted between the two nations.
