OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: The Khetachar-Sialmari Khuti Road in Dalgaon LAC in Darrang district continues to be a source of immense hardship for local residents. This vital rural artery connects Kharupetia and Dalgaon towns to hundreds of villages across Shyampur, Arimari, Kopati, and Dhula Gaon Panchayats besides providing access to essential facilities, including the Shyampur Police Station, Magurmari Primary Health Centre, and numerous schools.
Serving as the primary link between the Sar areas and National Highway 15, the 13.692 km road sees daily traffic from around 15,000 people, including schoolchildren and farmers transporting produce to markets like Balugaon. Currently, the unpaved and pothole-riddled stretch is in a deplorable state-often indistinguishable from surrounding fields. Motorcycles struggle to navigate it, forcing most travellers to rely on tractors or walk. During monsoons, it becomes nearly impassable, severely affecting education, healthcare, and livelihoods.
Despite numerous rural development schemes under the BJP-led central and state governments, this key infrastructure project has languished for years. However, finally the road got included under PMGSY Phase III for 2022-23 and sanctioned at a cost of Rs 7.55 crore, foundation of the project awarded to contractor Matlebuddin Ahmed was laid on September 2 of 2022.
But, actual groundwork began only in April 2024. Significantly though the scheduled completion was September 1 of 2023 it was missed by over two years as of November 2025.
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