Is it road politics in Nazira constituency?

28 February 2020. It was a day to remember for certain people of Nazira in Sivasagar district of Assam. At least those who loved being positive about life thought so. Honestly speaking, there was nothing wrong with that. Given that the state PWD minister, the ever energetic Himanta Biswa Sarma, himself came riding pillion with so many bikers in tow to have an understanding of the road condition in Nazira constituency, there were, all of a sudden, high hopes that residents of Nazira were going to have one of their basic demands fulfilled. Their only wish then was that the minister would take steps to improve road connectivity in the area at the earliest possible time. The motorcycle procession that Sarma had led, with conspicuous support from the Lok Sabha MP from Jorhat constituency, Tapan Kumar Gogoi, seemed to have given people of Nazira reason to believe that wrangling among political worthies had nothing to do with road development in the constituency of the opposition leader, Debabrata Saikia. However, one can still remember the run-in Saikia had with Sarma in the heart of the town over the purpose of the bike rally that day.

The issue of prime concern for people of Nazira has of late been the 11.9-km stretch of the Dhudar Ali from Balighat road junction to Namti Chari Ali. While welcoming the government's plan to widen and repair this portion of the State highway, local people have not taken kindly to the way the authorities have handled the road project so far. The delay in executing the project has only added to public misgivings about the government's development agenda. At a meeting in Nazira months back, Sarma had announced that road condition in the area would be improved soon, but nothing concrete has happened to validate his statement. Saikia has also raised several times the issue of road development in his constituency with the authorities concerned but to no avail. The last time Saikia pursued the matter was on 3 June 2020 when he met the chief engineer of the PWD, Chandmari, Guwahati. Not all of us know what transpired at the meeting, but it seems even the opposition leader is not convinced that the proposed road work will start anytime soon.

The PWD says there is no need to worry about the road project being delayed because the government has already given 'sanction for the task'. "Tenders have been called. Work order will be issued once the contract is awarded to one of the three bidders," says a PWD official.

In an apparent bid to placate the public, potholes along the Balighat-Namti Chari Ali road are being patched up with loose soil and gravel by the PWRD, Nazira Territorial Road Subdivision. This is a welcome move while still being questionable considering that the rainy season has already set in. Indications are that the road project is unlikely to get started until October this year which means enough time for the authorities to buy. The ongoing lockdown is also being used as an excuse for not carrying out road work in Nazira constituency.

According to official sources, widening of Dhudar Ali from 3.75 m to the standard 5.5 m, particularly the portion from Bortal Tini Ali to Namti Chari Ali, will involve tackling tricky issues like eviction of encroachers from government land and demolition of shops or business establishments, if there are any.

Dhudar Ali is such an integral part of public life in the Nazira area. Improvement in the condition of this road will be vital to the proposed expansion of Nazira town or municipality. There are other roads in the constituency which should also be taken care of by the government on priority basis.

With state assembly elections due in April-May next year, road condition in the opposition leader's constituency will most likely be a hot issue during the electioneering. Can we rise above partisan politics?

Siba K. Gogoi,

Sivasagar