TRK-Manikpur road in deplorable condition

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, Sept 17: There is no end to the tale of agonies of people who come to this town in search of works or to do the allotted ones. The main hurdle faced by them is in respect of the communication link from their tive villages. rrating the difficulties faced by the people of Manikgar and the cluster of villages around under Salchapra, Borkhola and Katigorah blocks, the daily commuters point out that for the last 5 years direct mini bus services between Silchar and Rajgar have been suspended due to broken roads.

 At present, the condition of this link has further deteriorated due to the submergence of 50 metre stretch of the TRK Road – Manikpur connectivity under the flooded waters of Barak. Virtually, there exists no direct link or communication. As Bishu Das, Salchapra BJP mandal secretary, said 20 years ago the bus services plied from Silchar to Rajartilla, far away under Katigorah block near Bangladesh border. It was a smooth ride with all along black topped road. This facilitated the people of Manikpur and other areas with easy and direct link with this town of Silchar.

 But, now daily commuters have to pass through many hurdles. The journey of half an hour takes two hours and that too by paying through their noses by them. The distance of 20 km looks around 100 km. Not only the people of Manikpur but also of vast areas of Borkhola and Katigorah have to face the same ordeal. Earlier, the journey by road could cost not more than Rs.20 both ways. This has now gone up to around Rs.100. The daily wage earners have been most inconvenienced as they have to spend half of their day’s income on conveyance.

 Describing the ordeal, pointed out a day labourer Ajmal Ali, after proceeding by auto to the submerged area of the road, he has take to boat to cross it and then again ride an auto. It becomes too much costly to bear that ultimately tells upon his very sustence. The school and college going students, both boys and girls, are worst sufferers as they often have to miss classes.

 Quite pathetic, two years ago, with Central Road Fund (CRF), the road was repaired with an estimated cost of Rs.1.30 crore. The poor quality of work and misutilization of fund could not sustain the load factor and gave way. People of the area however alleged the fund has not been used at all. The MLA of the area Rumi th, they further allege, has no interest in local problems. Whenever she visits the areas, she promises and assures to start the work. But, during her 10 years of being MLA, she has done nothing.