The All Arunachal Contractors' Welfare Association (AACWA) has intensified its demand for the immediate relocation of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) regional office from Tezpur, Assam, to Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. The contractors' body recently submitted a memorandum outlining their grievances and rationale to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, emphasizing the critical need for this administrative shift to streamline infrastructure development in the state.
The AACWA highlights that the current location of the MoRTH regional office in Tezpur, situated approximately 200 kilometers away from Itanagar, poses significant administrative and logistical challenges for contractors undertaking road projects in Arunachal Pradesh. This considerable distance has been cited as a major impediment to efficient project execution and timely completion of vital infrastructure works.
According to the AACWA, the primary issues stemming from the office's distant location include:
Hindrance to Project Execution: The geographical separation creates a bureaucratic bottleneck, making it difficult for contractors to promptly address project-related issues and secure necessary approvals.
Delays in Bill Clearances and Documentation: Contractors face undue delays in the processing of their bills and other essential documentation, severely impacting their operational cash flow and the pace of work.
Difficult On-Ground Supervision: The distance makes effective on-ground supervision by MoRTH officials challenging, potentially leading to oversight issues and hampering quality control.
Stalled Projects: The AACWA specifically pointed to the Papunallah–Nirjuli road package as an example of a project suffering significant delays and hurdles due to the current administrative setup.
The contractors' association further underscored that official notifications and tender documents issued by MoRTH themselves already designate Itanagar as the intended location for the regional office. This discrepancy, they argue, adds to the confusion and inefficiency.
The AACWA believes that relocating the MoRTH regional office to Itanagar, the state capital, would bring about several positive outcomes. It would not only significantly improve administrative efficiency and align with the ministry's declared jurisdictional intent but also ease the substantial burden currently faced by local contractors. Furthermore, the move is anticipated to create new job opportunities for the youth of Arunachal Pradesh, contributing to local economic growth.
The demand by the AACWA reflects a broader sentiment among stakeholders in Arunachal Pradesh who believe that central government offices dealing with state-specific projects should be situated within the state itself to ensure better coordination, faster decision-making, and more effective implementation of development initiatives.