AGARTALA, March 6 (TIWN): A expected, the rainy season has once again turned Udaipur-Agartala National Highway miserable. In the dry season the work was going at a snail space, resulting road have become dangerous due to the muds over the road. If rain continues for next 48 hours vehicle movement via this national highway would be stopped. The road was left with tons of muds and 2 sides of the road were dangerous to pass. But now with the rains disruption the condition has become more critical. This has resulted due to the negligence of the state PWD under Minister Badal Choudhury. On June 30, 2015 Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of Agartala-Udaipur double lane construction work as a part of National Highway upgradation. However, immediately after the fund release on June 2015, the foundation stone was also laid by Nitin Gadkari himself, and after that in the year 2015 the double lane work although began, primarily from Udaipur/ South Tripura parts, but it was only in the year 2016 from Agartala to Udaipur the construction work was started.

Tripura CM Manik Sarkar during the laying of foundation stone for Agartala-Udaipur route highway by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari lashed out at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleging that even after his public announcement at Agartala in 2005 for four-laning of National Highway between Churaibari (Assam border) and Agartala, his government sat on the proposal for 10 years and further thanks the BJP Govt for supporting Tripura Govt. However, Gadkari instructed the National Highway Development Corporation Ltd to complete the double-laning work of Agartala-Udaipur and Udaipur-Sabroom (73.71 km) NH within two years. But after the inauguration of the project in 2015, July 1st not even 30 % of the work has been done.

It’s worthy to mention here that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Chief Secretary Yash Pal Singh state principal secretary of PWD Lok Ranjan & other Tripura high officials were present on that occasion. On that day Nitin Gadkari said, the central government has sanctioned a total of Rs 871 crores for the project in two phases.  

The project was to develop the infrastructure of the state and help to boost the economy and provide job opportunity to the youths of the state. But from June month 2015 to Dec 2016, around 21 months have been crossed, without much upgardation of the project.

The work has been going slow and the now the half done road is ready to show all colours to the regular passengers. Chances of accidents have also increased due to the rain.