By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Nov 28: Sarawak is in the process of gazetting abandoned, active and inactive logging roads as State Roads as part of an initiative to take over their maintenance.
Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Aidel Lariwoo told the august House today that the State government has approved the proposal to assume responsibility for active logging roads that connect rural settlements across Sarawak.
Responding to Baleh assemblyman Nicholas Kudi Jantai’s question, he said the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak and Forest Department of Sarawak (FDS) have jointly identified active logging roads that continue to serve as vital access routes for rural communities, despite the absence of ongoing logging activity.
“Once the gazettement process is completed, the Sarawak government will take over the maintenance works under the State Road Maintenance Programme,” he said during the question-and-answer session.
Aidel also revealed that a total of 5,977.038km of logging roads Statewide have been identified for takeover under the State Road Maintenance Programme.
For Kapit Division alone, he said 3,781.694km of registered roads fall under the programme, broken down into three categories, namely State Roads (2,353.28km), Village Roads (1,417.82km) and Agriculture Roads (10.594km). – DayakDaily
