AGARTALA, Jan 21 (TIWN): Instead of making proper renovation of the road, the department is busy in bluffing the people by giving mere black carpeting in the name road renovation, in different parts of NH44. Talking to TIWN correspondent, Transport Minister Manik Dey said that maintenance is a regular process, it cannot be completed in one day, and it goes on for the entire year. He further said that at present the condition is quite good and there is no major fault in the road. However, it is to be mentioned here that there is no proper glimpse of facelift of NH44 so far in the state. 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. The condition of these stretches of the highways has become so bad that in some patches these have turned into virtual craters. In fact, the deplorable condition of these national highways has led to resentment amongst local people, with the demand for their maintenance growing and intensifying.The poor condition of the NH44 has lead to endless sufferings for the state people. Starting from transportation problem, now the people are facing the threat of price hike in the state.

Although lately, the state govt. has opened an alternative way of NH-44 by which goods may be exported and imported but the same alternative road has also beak down due to over load. Since last many days’ goods had been found rotten on Assam-Agartala road, as vehicles were stranded along the NH-44 highway.

Strewn with up to one feet of ditches, the bad condition of the road here is a resulting in jerking of vehicles to the two-wheeler drivers, the risk of four wheelers toppling in these ditches always run high.