NILAMBAZAR, Sept 20 - The residents of Karimganj district have resented the pathetic condition of the Assam-Tripura Road (National Highway-8) from Puamara to Ashimganj near Patherkandi and South Karimganj LAC.
National Highway-44 whose new number is NH- 8 has been assigned as the National Highway which goes from Ratacherra Meghalaya state border upto Agartola in Tripura through Cachar and Hailakandi districts. The road is vital for Tripura and Barak Valley.
The road under reference is mostly used by the residents of Tripura and Karimganj to reach Guwahati and other districts of Assam and Meghalaya. Though the entire road from Puamara to Ashimganj is in a sorry state, but the condition of the stretch from Batoiya to Moina covering a length of 26 km is simply beyond imagination.
The entire road is akin to a dirt track which is dotted by crater-sized water-filled ditches. Some of the ditches are so large that small vehicles find it extremely difficult to negotiate such ditches. As a result, traffic jams are frequent on the road, besides occasional mechanical breakdowns.
Another problem faced by the commuters/travellers is that there is no garage or petrol pump in the entire 30 km stretch from Lawairpua to Solgoi in Karimganj district.
The truck drivers carrying essential items have to face serious problem due to the deplorable road condition. �
Though the government has been harping on �Paribartan�, but in practice no action has been forthcoming,� Prabir Bhattacharjee, a senior resident of Karimganj lamented.
It may be mentioned that a few years back Orissa base construction company ARSS started renovation work on the said road, but due to political interference and continuous agitation the company failed to complete the task at hand work. Not surprisingly, they completed only 33 percent work.
In this connection a litigation is sub judice in Gauhati High Court.
