Bengal Sought ₹27.05 Crore, but Centre Sent Only Half: Nabanna : ‘Inadequate’ Funds for NH10 Repairs

PRANESH SARKAR, TT, Calcutta: The restoration of NH10, which connects Sikkim to Siliguri, has hit a roadblock after the Central Government did not approve the proposal of the West Bengal Public Works Department (PWD), which maintains the highway, to sanction “adequate funds” for the repairs.

Sources at Nabanna, the state secretariat, said the PWD had sent a proposal for ₹27.05 crore to restore several stretches of the highway that were damaged during heavy rainfall on June 14. The damage had brought traffic on the highway to a complete halt. However, in response to the PWD's proposal, the Centre sanctioned only ₹14.13 crore to undertake the repair work.

“We had sent a detailed project report to undertake the restoration in the areas that were severely damaged, but the Centre sanctioned only about half of the amount required by the PWD to undertake the restoration,” said a senior official at Nabanna.

According to a letter sent to the PWD by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the Centre has sanctioned funds for the restoration of the road, hillside drains, and the valley side of NH10 along certain stretches, besides short-term repairs of hillside areas damaged by erosion caused by the overflowing Teesta River.

Sources at Nabanna said the PWD had proposed additional work to make the road safe for all kinds of vehicles. “But these proposals have not been sanctioned yet. Without the restoration as proposed by the PWD, it would be tough to allow all kinds of vehicles to ply on the highway,” said a senior Nabanna official.

About a month ago, the PWD reopened NH10 after completing primary restoration, but only light and medium vehicles were allowed to ply along the restored stretch. As the highway could not be reopened for heavy vehicles, trucks and other heavy vehicles have been taking longer routes to reach Sikkim.

“This has left Bengal in an awkward situation. The people of Sikkim are blaming Bengal's PWD for not reopening the highway in the past few months. But the truth is that the state was not getting adequate support from Delhi,” said a source.

In addition to not sanctioning the required funds, sources at Nabanna said, the PWD was not getting active support from Delhi to complete the restoration on time, as MoRTH was not approving tenders related to the restoration project. For example, the PWD has completed tender formalities for slope protection and landslide mitigation at three vulnerable points on the road. The state prepared the required documents and floated the tenders after the project was sanctioned. However, the state cannot award the contract to any agency until the Centre approves it. “But the approval is yet to come, even though it was sent more than a month ago,” said a senior official.

Officials cited another example to show the Centre's lackadaisical approach to maintaining the national highway. A proposal worth ₹220 crore was sent for short-term repairs for the entire 52 km stretch from Sevoke to Rongpo in July, but the proposal is yet to be sanctioned. “This contract is important because it will ensure that landslide debris is cleared and emergency work can be taken up. The last contract expired in August,” said another official.

Against this background, state government officials are apprehensive about maintaining the highway properly if the Centre does not change its approach immediately.

“The condition of the road is changing rapidly as it is located in a very critical area. We have prepared a series of proposals to undertake emergency repairs, protect slopes, and address landslides at several points. Some of the proposals have already been sent, and a few others will follow. We are not sure whether the proposals to protect this important highway will be cleared,” said a bureaucrat.