Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 1
Commissioner and secretary for roads & bridges Temjen Toy said the state considered the 197th council meeting of the Indian Roads Congress being held at Kohima as historic occasion to host for an organization that was convened during pre-Independence India and which has now completed more than seven decades of its existence and is till today, contributing immensely to the growth of the nation through the development of roads of our country.
“It is worthwhile to note that the body has grown, from a small registered society in the year 1934, into an institution with over 13,500 members drawn from prestigious establishments of the Central and State Governments including Research Institutes, Engineering Colleges, Local Bodies and private enterprises, and that it has become a body that plays a vital role in determining the policies of India concerning roads. It is, therefore, indeed an honor to host this Council Meeting in this remote corner of India,” said Toy in his welcome address at the inaugural function Thursday.
The commissioner and secretary said the significance of roads in the economic growth and prosperity of any society or nation is an undisputed fact. Everywhere in the world, including the advanced countries, roads continue to be favored over other means of transport. In the present day context of a liberalized and a globalized world, any development decisions, including the vital aspects of investments that are the engines of economic growth, are dependent on communication and connectivity for which roads are a vital ingredient.
This will continue to be so till mankind devices or invents new means of mass transportation systems that does not involve roads. Till then, without a doubt, roads are here to stay as one of the most important aspects of human development, he said.
In such a backdrop, he said, the improvement and innovation of the technology for roads is a never ending process and it is here that the Indian Road Congress assumes a vital role as India begins to assume its rightful place as one of the leading economic powers of the world.
He said the opportunities that are emerging for India is indeed great and with that the responsibilities of a body like ours become even greater. He was hopeful that the Indian Roads Congress will rise to the occasion, and successfully meet the challenges that lie ahead of us.
“The Congress comprise of people who are bestowed with an enormous wealth of knowledge. They are drawn, not only from varied fields and institutions, but also have the experiences gained from all parts of this vast and diverse country of ours. There can, therefore, be very few organizations of such nature that can match the depth of knowledge and wide-ranging experience of this organization. We in the remote regions of the country, while feeling privileged to be members of such a prestigious body, also have much expectations through the Congress especially in the realm of the development of our roads,” the commissioner and secretary said.
For the states of the North East, barring Assam, roads constitute our only means of transport and communication. But we are handicapped not only by the hilly and difficult terrain but also by the nature of being located on one of the youngest fold mountains of the world, he said adding that the peculiar unstable soil conditions and heavy rain have a significant impact on all road construction projects, with the result that most standard specifications and costing become inadequate to meet the real requirements of the region.
Stating that the occurrences of landslides are quite normal during the monsoons, he said “It is, therefore, our expectations that the Road Congress will look into such peculiar local factors and problems, and offer its valuable suggestions to help improve activities in this sector of our state.”
“By looking closer into such unique local factors, I am sure the organization will only add to its knowledge base and help address practical issues being faced in different parts of our country”
Expressing happiness that the Government of India has placed improving mobility as one of its priority concerns, and is providing generous budgetary support to provide accessibility to remote areas and villages, he said “Our state is already benefitting from such projects that are already in the process of implementation. Yet much more remains to be done, and we shall be looking forward to the leadership and vision of the Roads Congress to guide us in the years to come, and in our aspirations to provide good connectivity to all parts of our state.”
