Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the delay in land acquisition and forest clearance had hampered the upgradation and widening work of National Highway-202 from Yaingangpokpi to Finch corner in the Imphal-Ukhrul road.
The union minister gave the statement on the floor of Parliament in reply to an unstarred question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba.
The MP from Manipur raised concerns on the unsatisfactory progress of the road construction even after completion of three years.
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Replying to the unstarred question, Gadkari informed that the work is targeted for completion by May 2024 and elaborated that the work is being executed in two packages of 17 km and 14 km respectively.
He said, of the total length of 17 km in package one, land in 16 km has been handed over by the state government and compensation estimate for 860 metres is under finalisation by the deputy commissioners of Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts.
In respect of package two, land in the entire 14 km has been handed over, he said, adding that the forest clearances for both packages have been accorded by the Forest Department on March 1, 2023.
At present, the physical progress achieved in package one is 52.03 per cent and in package two is 43.52 per cent, the Union minister said in his reply.
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