Tripura pushes NHIDCL to fix key Assam-Agartala highway ahead of Durga Puja

Agartala, July 28: The Tripura government has directed the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) to complete repair work on National Highway 8 (NH-8) — the crucial Assam-Agartala route — ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja festival, scheduled to begin on September 29.

The directive comes amid growing concerns over the deplorable condition of the highway, particularly along the Kumarghat to Churaibari stretch in the Unakoti and North Tripura districts.

Tripura PWD Secretary Kiran Gitte, accompanied by senior officials from NHIDCL and the state PWD, conducted an inspection of the affected sections on Saturday to assess the extent of the damage and expedite repairs.

Earlier, Chief Minister Manik Saha chaired a high-level meeting with concerned departments to review the condition of roads across the state, including NH-8. The Chief Minister instructed officials to initiate repair work on a war footing to ensure smoother connectivity and safer travel ahead of the festive season.

NH-8 serves as a lifeline for Tripura, connecting it with the rest of the country via Assam, and is heavily relied upon for the movement of goods and passengers.

“On Saturday, I travelled over 400 km through the national highway from Khowai to Kamalpur and Churaribari via Manu and Kumarghat. Senior officials from NHIDCL and state PWD also accompanied me. The road from Kumarghat to Churaibari needs immediate repair as several patches of it suffered severe damage due to the ongoing monsoon,” Gitte said.

According to him, the NHIDCL has been asked to complete the repair work from Kumarghat to Churaibari before Durga puja.

“I have asked NHIDCL to complete repair work by Durga puja. I have also told them to bring high officials (from outside the state) to see the ground reality”, he said.

Gitte further added that the state highways or other roads, which are maintained by the state PWD, are better than the national highways executed by the NHIDCL through sub-contractors.

West Tripura MP and former CM Biplab Kumar Deb met the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in Delhi on July 23 and urged him to send high-level officials to check the condition of roads.

“We urged the Union minister to send a team consisting of high-level officials for quality checking and identifying the defects and take necessary strict actions,” Deb posted on Facebook after meeting with Gadkari.

PTI