Three packages of TAH ready for iuguration

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITAGAR, Feb 5: Three packages of the 3, 286-km two-lane trunk Trans-Aruchal Highway (TAH) are ready for iuguration, PWD (Highway) chief engineer Bora Ete and Doimukh PWD division executive engineer Binny Pallen said here after inspecting the roads on Thursday. The packages 10-km Papu-Yupia, 20-km Yupia-Hoj (NH-713) and 23-km Hoj-Potin (NH-13), have been executed very satisfactorily by M/s T K Engineering Consortium Pvt Ltd, owned by a local entrepreneur, particularly the toughest Papu-Yupia portion, Ete said.

This would be second taking over after taking over 20-km Roing-Shantipur-Meka road, he said. “I would be sending a report to the Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry (MoRTH) in this regard,” Ete said, adding the Andhra Pradesh-based SRK Institute of Technology, which origilly was awarded many projects, but had miserably failed before abandoning. However, the local company has done a tremendous job, specifically by paying extra compensation to get willing support of the locals and  much extra works beyond the estimate, like ‘ban and tow wall’ to protect the highway from rain flow damages, which would be compensated, Ete said. Though the company would take up minor maintence for a year but major maintence would be the responsibility of the union MoRTH and the State government, he disclosed.  Major chunk of seven packages have been cleared, he said, adding the Pasighat-Pangin have been cleared by the Upper Subansiri and West Siang deputy commissioners and cleared by East Siang DC soon, he informed. The highway would accelerate the local economy, boost high potential tourism, agri-horti & allied sectors and speed up hydropower projects as the railway line has been linked to the highway, Ete said with confidence.

“The PWD being the nodal agency of MoRTH has been constantly monitoring and supervising to ensure the quality of works,” executive engineer Pallen said. Potin GB Taba Tayo, orange farmer Taba Bat and trader Madhab Saikia (doing business here for 16 years) had all praises for the good road benefitting them immensely. Consortium’s project mager Surajit Das informed that the packages worth Rs 900 crore despite heavy and frequent landslides and slips were completed within 2and half years against all odds. He however, sought more cooperation from the people.    

The TAH was gifted by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on January 31, 2008.