PATACHARKUCHI, Oct 14 - Following a high-level meeting convened by the Barpeta district administration recently, the exasperated local people, including representatives of various organisations of Bajali sub-division decided to refrain from taking up any agitational programme demanding completion of construction work of National Highway-31.
The meeting was attended by AASU leader Samudra Patgiri, Giridhar Choudhurry, presisdent of Bazar Committee, Pathsala, Himangshu Roy, chairman of Pathsala Town Committee, Ratul Roy of AGP, Prerna Sarma, SDO(S) of Bajali, A Natarajan, SDPO of Bajali, RTI worker Pankaj Sarma, including mediapersons and KMC officials, NHAI representatives, Pulak Patgiri, ADC of Barpeta, Joydev Mahanta, Circle Officer of Bajali, etc.
It may be mentioned that another meeting was also held at Pathsala before the district-level meeting cited above along with socially conscious section of people and Bajali Mahkuma AASU unit, Pathsala Bazar Committee, sub-divisional administration authority, besides local organisations.
It was here that KMC Construction tendered a written apology and promised to complete the pending work within December next and construct a bridge at Patacharkuchi before March 2018. The district administration made it clear that if the company fails this time too, then legal action will be taken against the aforementioned company.
Meanwhile, strong resentment was witnessed among the socially conscious section of people and organisations of Bajali sub-division following poor quality work and incomplete construction of the four-lane expansion project on NH-31 between Kaljhar and Bezkuchi in Barpeta district.
The people, it may be mentioned, have been suffering a lot since long due to dismal condition of the national highway. Though KMC was engaged for construction of the 27.3 km stretch from Kaljhar to Bezkuchi in 2005, it is alleged that the company having inadequate infrastructure and manpower, besides lack of resolve, left the work site recently due to pressure from various quarters.
A section of the locals alleged that the company failed to construct even 50% of the total works. Due to the very poor condition of the road, frequent accidents have till date claimed a number of lives. Various local organisations had in the meantime undertaken agitational programmes like road blockade and submitted memorandums to various authorities, though to no avail. A letter by one Pankaj Sarma to the Prime Minister on December 16, 2015 too failed to elicit any positive response.
The construction of a bridge near Dhamarkur is still incomplete. Similarly, construction of a railway overbridge at Pathsala is still incomplete, while the approach roads to various small bridge are yet to be completed. Bridge construction work over river Kaldia at Patacharkuchi was suspended due to reasons best known to the authority concerned.
It is a matter of shame that MLA Pabindra Deka of Patacharkuchi constituency along with AGP leaders Hemanta Kumar Roy, Ratul Roy, Gopendra Majumdar and Kamal Sarma submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister yesterday through the SDO (C) of Bajali sub-division to draw the attention of the CM about the deplorable plight of the road and prayed for proper enquiry and strict action from the State Government.
