Protest against slow pace of work on Gaurisagar stretch of 4-lane highway

A CORRESPONDENT

GAURISAGAR: The Gaurisagar Byabasayee Santha (Chambers of Commerce, Gaurisagar), staged a strong protest on Friday on the four-lane highway near Mitong bridge in Gaurisagar over delay in the construction of Gaurisagar stretch of the four-lane highway.

The construction of the Jhanji-Demow stretch was started in December, 2015, but even after 10 years, the 44-km stretch is yet to be completed. The people of the area have been repeatedly demanding the concerned authority as well as the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), the monitoring agency, for speedy construction of the road but in vain. The half-done construction work, lack of parking facility, and frequent change of diversions have badly hampered trade in the area. Left with no other way, the Santha staged a dharna in association with the people of Gaurisagar and various other organizations demanding a smooth and speedy construction of the stretch. The protesters shouted slogans against NHIDCL and construction company REGAL and Akshaya Infotech Construction Ltd for their poor quality of work and negligence to the public grievances. The protest lasted for more than an hour, causing traffic jams. On behalf of Sivasagar district administration, Nabul Baruah, Circle Officer of Sivasagar revenue circle, reached the site and requested the protesters to withdraw their agitation. Later, the Gaurisagar Byabasayee Santha submitted a memorandum demanding completion of the four-lane work within three months. The circle officer accepted the memorandum and assured the protesters that the problems would be resolved after discussions with the road construction companies and the NHAI.

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