Phase 4 of upgrading works to logging roads in Baram worth RM63 mln begin this week

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Gerawat (seated fifth right) with representatives from the Public Works Department, contractor and local community in a group photo after the earth-breaking ceremony.

MIRI (Sept 26): Phase 4 of the upgrading of logging roads in the interior of Baram has begun this week, said Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala.

He said the upgrading works involved 8.6km of access road and bridge across the Baram River to Long Tungan, and 6.1km access road to Ba Muboi.

“These two parts cost RM63 million as part of the efforts of the Sarawak government to build and repair roads and basic infrastructure in the hinterland areas including Ulu Baram and Kedaya Telang Usan,” he said in a Facebook post during an earth-breaking ceremony recently.

He also said and allocation of RM1.5 billion had been approved by the Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for the Highland Development Agency (HDA) for infrastructure development projects, which included works to upgrade former logging roads in the Telang Usan and Mulu constituencies in Baram.

He added that these logging roads had long been abandoned by the logging companies after their logging operation had ended.

Gerawat, who is also HDA deputy chairman, said out of that allocation, RM1.2 billion would be spent to upgrade over 20 roads with a total length of 450km, while the remaining RM300 million would be allocated for over 20 clean water supply projects and an electricity supply project under HDA.

This manifestation of rural development emphasis on bringing up to speed basic infrastructure and amenities in Sarawak is reflected in the allocation of 60 per cent of the state budget each year by the state legislative assembly, he said.

On the proposed new road from Miri to Kuala Melinau linking Marudi to Long Panai, Long Terawan and Mulu, he said the road would branch off to Long Panai and to Long Lama.

“This road stretches over 120km and includes two bridges crossing Sg Tutoh, with an estimated cost of about RM2 billion,” he said.

For the long term plan, he said the state government is mulling to build a road along the Sarawak border with Kalimantan in view of the development of the new Indonesia capital shift from Jakarta to Nusantara.

Meanwhile, Gerawat also chided parties and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that ran down the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government in social media to give the impression that the state government did not care about the well-being of the people in the interior of Sarawak when the former has little to show in delivering the goods.

Under the GPS government’s administration, he said there have been marked transformations in roads, electricity supply, clean water supply and telecommunication in rural Sarawak.

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