Itanagar: The All Arunachal Contractors’ Welfare Association (AACWA) on Wednesday urged the state government to relocate the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) regional office from Tezpur in Assam to Arunachal Pradesh’s capital, Itanagar.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the association expressed concern over the operational and administrative difficulties faced by contractors due to the office’s current location.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
AACWA, the apex body representing contractors in the state, said the absence of a functional MoRTH regional office in Arunachal Pradesh has led to ongoing project delays and inefficiencies.
The association highlighted that several official documents, including the ministry’s own Notice Inviting Bids (NIB), identify Itanagar as the official jurisdictional location for the MoRTH regional office. However, the office continues to operate out of Tezpur, Assam.
“This contradicts official communications and undermines efforts to decentralise project monitoring and improve local administrative access,” AACWA stated.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The memorandum pointed out that contractors are required to travel over 200 kilometres from Itanagar to Tezpur to process work-related documents and bills, which often leads to delays in project execution. The association cited the example of the delayed Papunallah–Nirjuli road package, attributing the hold-up to a lack of direct supervision from MoRTH officials.
AACWA also noted that contractors frequently face additional hurdles such as travel disruptions due to regional bandhs and road blockades in Assam, further complicating routine administrative processes that fall under Arunachal’s jurisdiction.
The association added that relocating the office to Itanagar would not only improve administrative efficiency but could also generate local employment, especially for support staff roles.
Calling the matter long-pending and pressing, AACWA requested the chief minister’s immediate intervention to establish the MoRTH regional office in Itanagar in accordance with the ministry’s original jurisdictional framework.