A day after Imphal Times reported on the controversy surrounding the construction of the so-called illegal Bridge in Chandel district, fresh questions have emerged over the State Government’s failure to enforce an official directive issued in 2024 ordering an immediate halt to the project.
A copy of the order, issued on March 21, 2024 by the then Deputy Commissioner of Chandel, Mayanglambam Rajkumar, directed that all preparations for constructing a bridge over the Manipur River at K. Molnom village be stopped, stating that the work had commenced without permission from the competent authority.
The directive observed that the proposed bridge site was located close to the security-sensitive Sugnu-Serou area and warned that the construction was likely to create unrest and adversely affect the security situation. It instructed all concerned authorities to stop any unauthorised construction in or near the security-sensitive zone with immediate effect.
Significantly, the order also directed law enforcement agencies, including the Assam Rifles acting in aid of the civil authority, to prevent the construction and warned that legal action would be initiated against those violating the directive.
The resurfacing of the 2024 order has prompted questions over whether the directive remains in force. Since no subsequent order withdrawing, modifying or declaring it null and void has been placed in the public domain, many are asking why the authorities have not acted against the bridge construction if it continues to be without the required approvals.
The development has also led to calls for the Government of Manipur to clarify whether the bridge has since obtained all statutory, administrative and security clearances, or whether the 2024 prohibitory order still stands.
