Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein reviews Trans-Arunachal highway project progress

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Monday reviewed the status of land acquisition, forest clearance and utility shifting, etc of Trans-Arunachal Highways, District Connectivity Roads and other National Highway projects with the Deputy Commissioners, Executing Agencies and other Stakeholders along with the Chief Secretary, Satya Gopal at the State Civil Secretariat here on Monday.

He said that “our State have a very limited working season” and called upon the Deputy Commissioners to take up the land acquisition issue seriously and expedite the process. He said, “DCs have to play a very important role in accelerating the road connectivity” asserting that the “Union Minister of Roads, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari had assured us to invest and construct roads worth Rs 50,000 crore in the State but we are not able to take advantage of the support given by the Central Government.

He added, “It is high time we must realize the importance of road connectivity and give preference to the road connectivity. With road connectivity other development will follow”.

He instructed the Deputy Commissioners to have fortnightly meetings with the executing agencies like BRO and NHIDCL to review progress of work. He also urged them to take the help of the local representatives of the area to convince the public and resolve the issues, whenever any local issue comes up at the construction sites.

Power and PHE and WS Departments were also instructed to complete the shifting of utility services by end of October 2018 to enable land acquisition and handing over of 100% encumbrance-free land to the concessionaires.

Chief Secretary, Satya Gopal cautioned to abide by the guidelines in preparing estimates for the compensation and said that any deviations from the notified rates will not be accepted by the government nor by the MoRTH. He informed that the State Cabinet had also passed a resolution to demolish all the structures that falls in the Right of Way (ROW) of Highways.

Officials of MoRTH, NHIDCL, BRO& PWD (highways) made powerpoint presentations of the status of land acquisition, forest clearance and utility shifting, etc of highways & road projects. Other issues faced by the executing agencies, BRO and other stakeholders were also discussed in the meeting.

Among others, Commissioner (PWD), Bilatee Pertin, Chief Engineer Highway, Toli Basar, PCCF & Principal Secretary (Environment & Forest), Dr Ravindra Kumar, Deputy Commissioners, officials of NHIDCL, BRO, PWD highways and representatives of Contractors were also present in the meeting.