Tardy pace of 4-laning of NH: Agencies asked to submit status report within 7 days

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A review meeting with National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and state PWD (National Highways division) was held under the chairmanship of Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary at the Assam Assembly Secretariat on Monday.

In the review meeting, it was seen that the work on several 4-lane national highway projects was progressing at a very slow rate.

It should be noted that Monday’s meeting was scheduled earlier, after Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the National Highway (NH) projects and the resultant problems created for the people of Upper Assam. Even some MLAs, including Sarupathar MLA Biswajit Phukan, earlier raised the issue of slow progress of work on the national highways, on the floor of the state Assembly.

In the meeting on Monday, all agencies engaged in the construction work were, therefore, instructed to submit a project-wise status report within 7 days. They were directed to provide the reasons for delay and the presence of other issues, if any.

During the review meeting on Monday, special emphasis was given on the four-lane national highway work on the stretch from Numaligarh to Dibrugarh-Tinsukia. Concern was expressed on the slow pace of work on this stretch.

In the meeting, NHIDCL officials informed Speaker Biswajit Daimary and the MLAs of Upper Assam present therein, of several reasons behind the delay, like land acquisition and negligence of contractors, among others. Several contractors engaged in the four-lane conversion work on the Numaligarh-Dibrugarh stretch of NH37 had their works terminated. NHIDCL assured the Speaker that the work on that stretch will be completed by June, 2024.

Talking to the media later, Biswajit Daimary said, “Construction of the Numaligarh-Dibrugarh stretch has been going on for long time but it is yet to be completed. I am also concerned by the fact that the contractors are not complying with the terms regarding the maintenance of the existing road in good condition even while the four-lane construction work progresses, so that vehicles passing through do not face problems. As a result, we have seen many accidents happening. In several cases, the diversion roads created for the passage of vehicles are in deplorable condition, with the surface full of potholes. NHIDCL has been asked to minimize such issues.”

He also said that progress status reports on NH projects have to be submitted by the agencies within 7 days.

“An Assembly members’ team will go for a field visit to verify the status of work in Upper Assam. During this visit, there will not only be NHIDCL officials present, but also contractors, district commissioners of several districts in Upper Assam and local MLAs,” Speaker Daimary further stated.

He added, “The road connecting Samthaibari in Bongaigaon district and Gelephu in Bhutan, a state PWD road, is in a very bad condition. PWD officials said that maintenance work has been started.”

“We will also go on a field visit to inspect the Dhubri-Phulbari bridge over the Brahmaputra river. The progress on many NH projects, slated for completion by next year, is very slow. Somewhere it is 0%, or only 10% or 20% of the work has been completed. If work goes on like this, it will take 10 years to complete the work. All agencies have been asked to take the issues seriously.”

Several MLAs of Upper Assam, along with three Cabinet ministers- Atul Bora, Jogen Mohan and Sanjay Kishan were present in the review meeting.

According to NHIDCL, work completion on the Numaligarh to Jorhat portion of the NH is 95.41%, four-laning of Dergaon town is 95.41% complete, and work allotted to contractor on the Jorhat-Jhanji stretch has been terminated. Also that, the Jhanji-Demow stretch (balance work) is 26.51% complete, Demow to Moran (balance work) is 6.72% done, while the work allotted to contractor on the Moran to Bogibeel junction stretch has been terminated.

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