Assam PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s commitment that he would move about pedaling bicycle on the deplorable roads of the State from September 30 to December 31 amidst the burgeoning complaints of people would be yet another act of futile exercise. He further made some significant statements that no officer from the rank of executive engineer can stay in the same division for more than three years, and that action would be initiated against the engineers found to have been involved in corruption or dereliction of duty.
We understand well that the minister had been deputed by the high command to campaign for party candidates in West Bengal. So, brushing aside his two important portfolios – PWD and Health – till the election was over, the minister had been busy with his assigned job. The people of the State patiently waited for the date of the election results. Then, by degrees, their patience started running out. Now the PWD Minister says that for another six months – from September 30 to December 31 – he would cycle on the roads. Whether or not the roads would receive facelift by the beginning of the next year, people are still ignorant.
How long the minister would befool the people is best known to him. It would rather do well for him if he specifies a timeframe within which all the roads of the State would be renovated.
We blame Nitin Gadkari, the Union Road Transport Minister, for two stints in a row for projecting a rosy picture, declaring vociferously that for repairing of roads a whole lot of funds would be available, but in reality all his tall talks proved to be a lie in the past.
Incidentally, the Chief Minister’s home town, Dibrugarh, is also a victim of deplorable roads. The Santipara Road connecting the overbridge and the Tarun Ram Phukan Road (Convoy Road) become a veritable hell after just a mild downpour. It is the total failure of our Chief Minister and the PWD Minister for making the matter so worse.
Ashok Bordoloi,
Dibrugarh.