GUWAHATI, July 22 - Work on the four-laning of the Nagaon-Dibrugarh stretch of the national highway is yet to pick up speed. In a written reply to a question by Congress MLA Ajanta Neog in the Legislative Assembly, PWD Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said that the progress of work at various sections of the Nagaon-Dibrugarh four-laning project is between zero per cent to 10 per cent.
In the Nagaon Bypass to the Rangagora Section, which was approved on December 23, 2015, and where the contracting agency was appointed (or appointed date) on May 23 this year, the progress of work is zero per cent. The target for completion of the work in that section is two-and-a-half years from the appointed date.
Similarly, work is yet to start in the Rangagora-to-Kaliabor Tiniali section which was approved on December 23, 2015.
In the Numaligarh to Jorhat section, the progress of work is five per cent. The date of approval for that section was November 14, 2014, and the appointed date was May 23, 2015. The target for completion of the section is three years from the appointed date.
In the Jorhat to Janjhi and Janjhi to Demow sections, work is yet to start. Here, approval had been given on November 19, 2014, and the appointed date was June 1, 2015. The sections are targeted for completion three years from the appointed dates.
The progress of work is zero per cent in the Demow-to-Moran and Moran-to-Bogibeel sections which were approved of on January 14 this year. The appointed dates for both these sections is May 16 and the target for completion is two-and-a-half years from the appointed date.
In the Dibrugarh Bypass section, approved on February 20, 2015, the progress of work has been put at 10 per cent. The appointed date of the section was October 1, 2015, and the target of completion from that date is three years.
The project is being carried out under the Special Accelerated Road development Programme-North East (SARDP-NE) of the Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways.
In reply to a supplementary, Suklabaidya said that the Government is looking to finish the process of land acquisition for the project at the earliest and start work on the ground.
�In the last two months, I held four meetings with National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) officials to expedite work,� he said.
Ajanta Neog suggested that the minister should call a meeting of all the contracting agencies to expedite the works. She said that at times the contracting companies adopt a lethargic attitude even after land has been acquired by the Government and handed over to them.
Meanwhile, in a written reply to a question by MLA Bhabesh Kalita, PWD Minister Suklabaidya said that as per rules laid down by the Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways, bridges constructed on national highways cannot be named after any distinguished person or any heroes or other eminent persons.
