Assam: PMGSY road rendered useless for want of overbridge

HC asks PWD to pursue Railways

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: A 15.5 km length of road constructed connecting the road from Borlangpher to Lumding via Chotalangpher under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) remains unusable due to the railway track dissecting the road at Borlangpher. The authorities, who had prepared the project proposal for the said road, did not take into consideration the fact that a railway track dissects the road near Borlangpher, making the road unusable as thoroughfare is not provided to bring connectivity to the targeted inhabitants.

This was stated in the division bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair while hearing a PIL case (PIL/76/2023) filed by Mindar Kiri Teron. The PIL petition was filed by the petitioner, essentially raising a grievance that the respondent PWD has failed to complete the road connecting the highway from Borlangpher to Lumding via Chotalangpher under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY). The petitioner prayed that the respondents be directed to take necessary action to provide vehicular connectivity across the barricaded railway track by setting up a manned railway crossing at the spot in the public interest.

D Nath, standing counsel of PWD, submitted that so far as the construction of the railway underbridge or a manned railway crossing to provide a connecting facility to the inhabitants of the people is concerned, the Executive Engineer, PWD, Diphu Road Division, has already written a letter on September 6, 2024, and later also sent two reminders to the Railway Authority concerned with a request to construct a Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Borlangpher to connect the aforesaid PMGSY road to the National Highway at Borlangpher so that the residents of the area can be benefitted. It is contended that, to date, there has been no response from the railway authorities.

The bench, after taking into consideration that the 15.5 km stretch of the PMGSY road has already been constructed and for the purpose of construction of ROB, the PWD authorities have already taken up the matter with the Railway Authorities, said that no further order is required to be passed in this PIL petition. However, the bench expected that the PWD authorities would pursue the railway authorities to construct the ROB at an appropriate place at Borlangpher to make the aforesaid PMGSY road usable and connected to the National Highway at Borlangpher.

Also Read: Assam: Panbazar road overbridge reconstruction faces delays in Guwahati city

Also Watch: