Tripura Governor's initiative to improve NH-44 before monsoon

A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, March 21: Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura has taken a special initiative to improve the condition of the tiol Highway 44 before the beginning of the monsoon. The highway popularly known as Assam-Agartala road is the only inland road connectivity of Tripura with the rest of the country.

The Governor, who was in a two day visit to North Tripura, took some time out from his schedule and persolly visited the worst effected parts of the road from Churaibari in Tripura to Lowerpoa in Assam. He was very unhappy with the wretched condition of the road and assured to take up the matter with the Union government. “Geographically this part of the road falls in Assam but it has very less utility for them. On the other hand it is considered as lifeline for Tripura. So it is imperative for us to take the initiative,” he told the reporters.

Few months back transportation through this road remained suspended for several days due to heavy rain that caused serious crisis of essential commodities in Tripura. The Governor than drew the attention of the Union Surface Transport minister Nitin Garkari. Following this some repairing work has already been under taken but the Governor said it is not satisfactory and assured that he will write again to the minister seeking a permanent solution of the problem.

He also visited the proposed altertive tiol Highway being constructed from Kukital in Assam to Agartala via Kadamtala in Dharmagar and found the progress is not satisfactory. “The Union minister’s attention will be drawn to this also,” he said. The condition of the road in Tripura side was workable but the condition of the Assam side is unteble. It was learnt that the repairing work of the road could not be undertaken by the Assam PWD due to some dispute with the contractor. However, recently a new contractor has been appointed and repairing work also started.