Senapati, September 5: The Naga People’s Organization (NPO) has expressed its resentment over the deteriorating road conditions of NH-129/A Maram-Peren road.
The apex body, in a statement, said that NH-129/A Maram-Peren road is the only alternative route connecting Manipur and Nagaland after the monsoon rain damaged road at several locations along NH-2, NH-37 and Mao to Chakhabama route.
It may be noted that, Maram-Peren road has been witnessing heavy traffic for several months now ferrying essential goods to Manipur but the road remained neglected by the concerned work agency till today.
NPO alleged that the portion from Maram Center-Duigum Package 1A between 13Km to 22Km remains incomplete and is still at the formation cutting stage. Over the past two-three months, all heavy vehicles have been diverted to NH-129/A due to multiple landslides in Nagaland causing severe traffic congestion, it stated.
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Stating that it takes a day to cross a few kilometres, the NPO urged the Manipur government to take immediate and decisive action to ensure timely completion of the road.
It also held NHIDCL officials accountable and demanded termination of the contract with CSR Company, if it continues to delay in executing the said project. The NPO further warned that, failure to complete the works timely by NHIDCL and CSR, it would be compelled to resort to democratic forms of agitation.
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It may be mentioned that Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for three sections of the Maram-Peren road on July 12, 2021 at City Convention Center Imphal. These three sections included:
1) Two-Laning with hard shoulders from Maram Center to Maram Duigum of Maram-Peren section of NH-129A with a total length of 22Km at the cost of Rs 226 crore
2) Two-Laning with hard shoulders from Maram Duigum to Willong Khullen of Maram-Peren section of NH-129A with a total length of 18Km at the cost of Rs 188 crore and
3) Two-Laning with hard shoulders from Bendramai to Zuimi of Maram-Peren section of NH-129A with a total length of 18Km at the cost of Rs. 232 crore.
The entire NH-129A is divided into five packages (1A,1B,2A,2B and 3),covering a total length of 105Km. On March 5, 2023, D.S Choudhary, Executive Director NHIDCL inaugurated the Maram-Peren Road section NH-129A(40Km to 56.84Km) for commercial vehicular movement.
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