Kabi Lungchok MLA complains about North roads to Defence Minister

GANGTOK, 01 June: Kabi Lungchok MLA, Ugen Nedup Bhutia of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party has written to Defence Minister Arun Jaitley requesting a “thorough investigation” into what he alleges to be “careless, haphazard and unplanned widening of North Sikkim Highway by 129 RCC (GREF) for decades now”.
In his letter, Mr. Bhutia writes: “The widening of the road was taken up about a decade ago but the project is yet to be completed. Apparently, it has become a constant source of money-minting for executing agencies and all the stakeholders, thereby causing huge avoidable loss to the Exchequer”.
He adds that the road is blocked at Bagcha Chu Bridge (B3) since 13 May 2014 and commuters are being trans-shifted. Further, hill cutting works right from from Phengla HQ129 RCC (GREF) to Seven Sisters’ Falls (30 km) in Men-Rongong and Namok are going on at snail’s pace, he alleges.
The MLA writes, “It is found that the construction of the Bridge 1 to Bridge 9 have been awarded to private companies but so far, none of the bridges have been completed nor even taken up in some cases. It appears that there is no accountability fixed for non-timely execution of the work. The quality of black-topping of the road is very poor”.
Mr. Bhutia has urged the Defence Minister's urgent intervention into the matter and order a thorough investigation on it in ensuring a time bound and early completion of the widening work including the clearance of B3 in the greater national interest and its security.