GUWAHATI, Nov 26: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has informed him that following the state government’s concern over the slow pace of work on the Jorhat-Dibrugarh highway, 11 contractors have been onboarded to expedite the project.
In a letter to Sarma, Gadkari said in the wake of the report received from his office regarding restoration and maintenance of the 127 km stretch, the matter was examined.
Gadkari directed the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) to proactively tackle all challenges and issues on the National Highways (NHs) of Assam and undertake comprehensive maintenance and restoration of all NHs to make them traffic worthy.
The work on the Jorhat to Dibrugarh section, unfortunately, is running behind schedule due to several factors, including initial delays related to land acquisition, an acute shortage of raw materials, especially silt and sand, and the non-performance of certain contractors, Gadkari, the Union minister of road transport and highways, pointed out.
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The stretch from Numaligarh to Jorhat has been completed.
“In our recent meeting, it was decided to facilitate efficient execution, the section from Jorhat to Dibrugarh, has been divided into smaller fragments and work is ongoing with 11 contractors onboarded,” said Gadkari.
The project includes the construction of nine vehicular underpasses, six pedestrian underpasses and one flyover, requiring substantial quantities of sand, earth and boulders.
“I have strictly directed NHIDCL to proactively tackle all such challenges and issues on national highways in Assam, and undertake comprehensive maintenance and restoration of all national highways,” he said.
He also assured Sarma that his ministry would effectively implement all requisite measures for the timely completion of the projects.
It may be mentioned that Sarma last month engaged in a comprehensive review meeting with Gadkari, urging him to expedite crucial projects such as the Jorhat-Dibrugarh highway, Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, and the retendering process for the Majuli-Jorhat bridge across the Brahmaputra.
During the meeting, Gadkari had diligently evaluated the progress of ongoing and upcoming national highway projects in Assam, stressing the importance of their timely completion.
The CM highlighted the shared goal of completing 57 essential national highway projects across various implementing agencies on schedule and specifically requested the Union minister to prioritize the swift conclusion of the Jorhat-Dibrugarh highway. (PTI)
