AGARTALA, March 11 (TIWN): Deplorable condition of the NH-44 still continues. After the work of mega block started, National Highway and the airlines are the major way to connect with the other remotest places. But the Public works Department has not progressed much of maintenance of NH-44. Besides that there are many dug and holes which lead to frequent accidents almost every day. Now. When the proposal for double lane is setting in up in air, present condition will definitely put a question mark on the construction. As per Tripura Govt, Border Road Organization(BRO) had completed half of the maintenance work from Churaibari to Khasiabari (24 km) and Mungiakami to Agartala (60km). Apart from this from Churaibari-Agartala (318.00 km), only 104 km were under the PWD Department. The Department had successfully installed area of 4 km at an estimate of 9.122 crore rupees. After the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway handed over development & maintenance of 104 km of Assam Agartala National Highway (NH-44) to the PWD from Border Roads Organization (BRO) in September 2013, the condition of the NH-44 is getting worse day-by-day due to negligence of PWD.

Yesterday during Lok Sabha zero hours, Tripura MP Jiten Chowdhury raised a most important issue and dilapidated condition of Tripura's transport lifeline NH 44. Tripura MP stressed upon the importance of NH 44 from defence and economic prospective and said "road infrastructure in the Northeast is very poor and undoubtedly the region is strategically very important from the defence as well as from the point of view of development of socio­economic infrastructure. In the North­ East Tripura is totally a landlocked state and is linked to the rest of the country only with National Highway­44 and this road is the life line for the people of Tripura. However, the condition of this border road is very pathetic and is not unplayable in many stretches. With the start of Mega Block for conversion of Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge from Lumding to Silchar by the Railway Ministry the train movement to Tripura since October, 2014 has been discontinued leading to immense hardship to the people. Condition of National Highway­44 is worst from Ambassa in Tripura to Karimganj in Assam over a length of 164 km.

Besides some loop holes, Minister Bhanulal Saha laid stress on four lane work of National Highway­44 (NH­44) in Tripura. Saying that the state govt. has been demanding for an alternative National Highway but the sanction is still awaited, Tripura Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha during a pre­budget meeting with the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urged the central govt. to take a necessary action in regard of laying four lanes to NH­44. Saha said that although the state govt. has been perusing the Union Govt. to develop the NH­44 to four lanes, yet the physical progress of even 2 lanes is far from satisfactory level.

According to sources, the National Highway- Dharmanagar to Panisagar, Jirania Block Tri-Junction, Champaknagar, Dolubari, Kumarghat to Pecharthal and Chandraipara have become very dangerous. "The condition of the NH- 44 is such a bad shape in some spots, it could be snapped anytime”. The deplorable condition of National Highway 44 the only road connectivity that links mainland India with the eastern part of Meghalaya, Barak Valley in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura has for a long time now remained a harrowing experience for helpless commuters.