Proper roads and drains still a far cry in Kokrajhar town as residents suffer

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, June 1:  After signing of the BTC accord in 2003, people of the region were hopeful that their living conditions would improve. The council administration laid special emphasis on the construction and improvement of roads, besides converting wooden bridges to RCC and other structures. Kokrajhar town, being the head quarter of the council, got the maximum importance. People witnessed massive construction of roads and drains in the town. In certain wards of Kokrajhar town, the residents got RCC roads with well draige system.

But most people were of the view that the development of roads and draige system was not reaching the tribal areas where people had fought wholeheartedly for the creation of BTC. Most of the old wards like Tengapara, Baganshali, Kokrajhari, Rupati Nwgwr, Depot Bhatarmari, Mwiderkhoro, Thulungapuri and Swmdwnpuri have neither proper roads nor draige system. Interestingly, the residents of South Tengapara have never seen draige system in the village.  North and middle Tengapara are also yet to see proper drains and these villages get waterlogged or inundated during rainy season every year due to lack of proper outlets and drains.

Roads, drains and culverts are the need of the hour. There are also allegations that many schemes have not been implemented in various places although fund has been sanctioned. This is happening due to lack of proper monitoring of work. The implementation agency has the responsibility to check the work of contractors or those who are supposed to implement the development schems. The people have demanded proper draige system and improved roads in every village and ward of Kokrajhar town. Apart from this, the huge cals passing through Tengapara, Thulungapuri-South Tengapara, Rupathi Nwgwr are yet to be made fully concrete.