AGARTALA, August 21 (TIWN): The land acquisition work for double lane of National Highway 44 (NH-44) from Udaipur to Sabroom is on full swing with maximum part of work is completed and the rest is under process of completion, said Public Work Department (PWD) minister Badal Choudhury. Bulk quantities of trees were chopped off along the existing road side to get the forest cleared off for the extension of road, Choudhury told the media.

National Highway Infrastructural Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) is directly implementing the development of Agartala-Sabroom section of NH-44 in Tripura. Moreover, the state PWD department has taken the charge of development and maintenance of NH-44 from Churaibari to Agartala, i.e. 104 km approximately.

The NH-44 is the lifeline of the state and at present the condition of this national highway is in a very worse condition. Hence,

Apart from this, an alternative highway will be made in the state which will cover Kukital to Kailashahar and Teliamura to Sabroom via Amarpur and Silachari. The PWD minister had urged the union minister of Road and Highways Nitin Gadkari to sanction the fund for alternative national highway in the state as soon as possible.

The state government also urged to the central government to issue a gadget notification for the same, Choudhury added.

However, it is to be mentioned here that the department had geared up to take up the road extension work at the earliest in view of getting better transportation facilities as the mega block railway BG conversion work is scheduled to kick off from October 1 this year.

The train services would be suspended as a result the transportation of goods and daily commodities from other parts of the state to the capital town would have to face a serious trouble, hence the state PWD has taken up certain initiatives to commence the road extension work at the earliest.