Significant Loss of Heavy Machinery in Manipur Crisis Affects Road Construction

Impact of Manipur Crisis on Road Development

Imphal, Dec 27: The ongoing crisis in Manipur, which began on May 3, 2023, has resulted in the loss of over 400 pieces of heavy machinery and equipment utilized by contractors for road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

During the recent silver jubilee celebration of the PMGSY, Kh Temba Singh, the Chief Engineer of the Manipur State Rural Road Development Agency (MSRRDA), revealed that a total of 423 heavy machinery units have been lost, and as of now, no compensation has been provided to the affected contractors. The estimated value of the lost equipment is between Rs 70-80 crore.

Since its inception in December 2000, the PMGSY has successfully connected 95 percent of habitations in Manipur. The Chief Engineer noted that 1,931 projects, including roads and bridges, have been completed at a total expenditure of Rs 4,780 crore, with the majority of these projects being finalized during PMGSY Phase I, which was sanctioned from 2000 to 2021.

The PMGSY aims to ensure all-weather road connectivity to rural areas with populations of 250 or more, as part of a broader strategy to alleviate poverty across the nation.

However, the Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts currently have the highest number of pending projects, totaling 55. Following them are Tamenglong and Noney districts, which have 44 pending works. Notably, 89 percent of the unfinished projects from PMGSY Phases I and II are located in the hill districts, while only 11 percent are in the valley districts.

Present at the event were Manipur Chief Secretary Dr. Puneet Kumar Goel, Commissioner for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Sumant Singh, along with former chief engineers of MSRRDA and senior engineering staff.