The PWD road from the Talap Railway crossing to Deepaline has been lying in a deplorable condition for long. Talap is a township between Doomdooma and Dholaghat. This strategically placed township has great scope for development.
The Apeejay Tea Company�s large and extensive Khobong Tea Estate borders this little town. It is a marketing centre for thousands of tea garden workers and their families. The rail head reaches up to Dangree, a little beyond the Talap township.
The PWD road from the Talap Railway crossing leading to Deepaline is used by a large number of people associated with the tea garden. There are three schools by the side of the road. Anybody with a civic sense will be appalled by the deplorable and pathetic condition of the road. Local people said that this road has remained in this state for more than 15 years. It is a sad pointer to the discrimination faced by some sections of people.
The people of the area sent a signed application for the improvement of the road to the BDO in July, 2013. Copies were also sent to the Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner and the Chief Minister. However, no action has been taken yet in this respect though there is speculation that something is in the pipeline.
In the rainy season, children reach schools, soaked in mud and slush, and in the dry season, their bodies are filled with dust. Pregnant women have a traumatic experience travelling on this road on the way to hospitals. Sick people have to pay a lot of money to hire taxis to reach hospitals. Nobody likes to take their vehicles out for fear of wear and tear.
Thousands of people travel on this road on foot and bicycles. However, it is a road abandoned by the PWD, neglected by the Panchayats, shunned and shunted by politicians, seldom visited by leaders and never given attention to by the media. Ironically, even associations and organisations championing the cause of the tea garden workers seem to be silent on the issue.
Poor people living in the gardens without any political clout believe only in poll promises and live with the hope of a better tomorrow. The residents alleged that the last MP never visited this place, nor did anything for them.
Now the people are ready to welcome anybody who will do something for them rather than make empty promises. When will the people of Talap have leaders who will bring a little solace to them? When will they have a decent road? Will Talap be visited by media persons? When there is a pothole on a road in Delhi or Guwahati, the media gives wide coverage. But here, these people have hardly any patch of bitumen on the road except potholes. The Tinsukia district has very poor communication infrastructure. Is it not time to do something for the welfare of the hard-working people of Talap?
