BARPETA, Oct 1 � The officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Punj Llyod, a construction company engaged in the construction of the four- lane highway in Assam have been facing stiff challenge from the local people here regarding construction of a flyover at Simlaguri near Barpeta road in Barpeta district.
Hundreds of people from different walks of life gathered in Simlaguri Chowk on September 28 to protest work on the four-lane highway and demanded construction of a fly over there.
The agitated public virtually compelled to abandon the work in Simlaguri. People representing Simlaguri Chowk Unnayan Samiti, All Assam Students� Union , All Koch Rajbonshi Students� Union, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad and All Assam Minority Students Union made it clear that they will not be content with mere four laning of the highway in this portion and demanded that the NHAI should construct a flyover there as agreed upon earlier. MLA Sarbhog constituency Ranjit Das was also present on the site of protest.
It may be mentioned here that Simlaguri on the National Highway 31 near Barpeta road is very much busy all day long. It is the connecting point to the Manas National Park cum Tiger Project and Bhutan in the north and Barpeta Town in the south. The road stresses from Guwahati to Buxirhat in the east and west respectively. It is the main station of road communication to Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and several destinations of west Bengal to the west and and Guwahati and other parts of eastern Assam. Not to speak about its link with the other parts of the district and neighbouring Baksa district.
The argument behind the agitation is that if the importance of such a busy juncture is neglected frequent accident may make life miserable as soon as the ambitious project of four lane is completed.
Local people have been demanding construction of a flyover there for quiet some time. The Ministry of Highway and Road Communication had agreed to the demand and accorded necessary sanction for it during the last part of the last year. In a meeting between the agitating organisation local administration, NHAI and the construction farm in February this year it was agreed upon that no work related with the four laning of the highway would be done in the seven hundred stretch of the National Highway 31 at Simlaguri and a flyover would be built there.
But it is a matter of shock and surprise that in spite of approval of the concerned ministry and amicable discussion with several related parties the contractor farm began the works on the road nullifying the long standing demand of the people . The one sided activity of the construction company enraged the people and they came out openly to register their protest. It is hoped that the authority will lend proper attention to the genuine demand before the situation aggravates further.
