Roads and Bridges Minister inspects ongoing road construction work in West Sikkim

DIRECTS CONTRACTORS AND OFFICIALS TO EXPEDITE WORK ON WAR-FOOTING
GANGTOK, 14 Mar: Minister Roads and Bridges, RB Subba inspected two ongoing road construction works from Intake power house to Jhakri Dhunga and Sopakha to Chewabhanjyang in West Sikkim on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Superintendent Engineer, Roads and Bridges [West], Divisional Engineer, Roads and Bridges Deptt [Gyalshing], DFO [Wildlife], ACF [Territorial], Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer Roads and Bridges Deptt [Kaluk Sub-division], concerned contractors, panchayat and local public.
A press release informs that the Minister walked throughout up to 3.40 Kms length along trace cut road of Jhakri Dhunga. He expressed displeasure at the slow pace of work and directed the contractors and the officials to expedite the work on war-footing and complete the work at the earliest.
He further directed the contractors to make the trace cut length of 3.40 Kms trafficable within 40 days without fail, for which he took an undertaking from the contractors, the release mentions. He has directed the officials of the Department to extend maximum support by issuing requisite stock materials and machinery to the contractors. He observed that the road needs to be re-aligned to avoid massive rock cutting involved in the original alignment in order to ensure timely completion of the road.
While re-aligning the road private lands need to be acquired for which the Minister directed the Panchayats and public to pursue the matter with the landowners and submit NOC to the department at the earliest. For connectivity to the Upper Ferek busty he expressed that it would be better to provide a bifurcated link road of about one kilometre from the road towards Jhakri Dhunga. He also directed the officials to conduct a survey for the link road to Parengaon.
The release further informs that regarding the 18 Km long road from Sopakha to Chewabhanjyang under construction he directed the contractor to make the road trafficable up to 5.50 Kms within 20 days positively. Beyond 5.50 Kms, 12.50 Kms length of the road runs along the reserved forest land and Kanchanjunga Biosphere. For necessary clearance he has directed the DFO [Wildlife] and ACF [Territorial] to render full cooperation to the Department so that the Government’s top priority project is completed within the stipulated time, the release adds.