Rs 70 crore for renovation of NH31A road to Sikkim

Jan. 17.TT: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 70 crore for the phase-wise renovation of NH31A at a time the Sikkim government has expressed its displeasure over the tardy pace of repair of the highway by the Border Roads Organisation. The national highway is the only road link between the Himalayan state and the rest of the country. The BRO said as much as Rs 51 crore would be spent to convert a 10km stretch from near Kali Jhora to a spot close to Lohapool under Kalimpong subdivision into a two-lane road. Around Rs 17 crore is meant to strengthen the pavements between Ranipool and Gangtok, which are located about 12km apart. “Rs 1.5 crore has been sanctioned to hire a consultancy firm to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) on the proposed 1km-long bridge at Rangpo, the main entry point to Sikkim,” said a news release issued by the BRO. The BRO has been repairing the highway for the past one-and-a-half years and it will start the two new projects very soon. “While the first two projects will be taken up very shortly, the third one will be in the pipeline only when the consultancy submits the detailed project report and the estimate is approved by the appropriate authority,” said the release. A 19-km stretch of the road between Rangpo and Gangtok is being renovated now, while the BRO is working on a phase-wise development of a 52-km stretch in the Kalimpong subdivision. “We have started constructing a bypass between 20km and 27km (roughly between Reang and Ravi Jhora). The DPR on the renovation of the stretch between 27km and 28km (between Ravi Jhora and the Teesta bridge) is already with the ministry (of road transport and highways),” said a BRO official. He added that a DPR was being prepared for the renovation of the 24-km stretch between Teesta Bazar and Rangpo also. “While the DPR for the 6-km stretch between near Lohapool and Reang was submitted to the ministry, the feasibility study for the proposed viaduct near Lohapool has been approved,” said the official. However, the viaduct project had run into rough weather with people of Lohapool and Suntaley opposing the plan, saying they would lose their livelihood. The viaduct will skirt the two villages where people earn a livelihood by running shops patronised by vehicles plying on the highway. The BRO has come under attack from the Sikkim government, which complained to the Centre about the delay in the renovation of NH31A. A Sikkim government news release said chief minister Pawan Chamling had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi yesterday and complained to them about the “deplorable” condition of the road and the “tardy progress” of work undertaken by the BRO. “Mukherjee had assured the chief minister to take up the matter with the BRO and direct that repair and improvement works are expedited and quality is ensured by the BRO,” said the release.