AGARTALA, Aug 1 � Unfolding the achievements in the field of road connectivity and buildings in the state during the past few years, PWD Minister Badal Chowdhury today trained the gun at the Centre for not upgrading the national highway (NH-44) even after the Prime Minister�s promise.
In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced that the Asssam-Agartala national highway would be converted to a double-lane one. �Even after seven years, no work has been done to improve the state�s lifeline. Two months back, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar accompanied by myself met the Prime Minister to remind him about his promise. During the meeting, he assured that improvement of NH-44 would be included in the 12th Five Year Plan,� he said at a press conference here today.
Expressing dismay over the non-execution of the work, Chowdhury said that the state government had approved the modified alignment of NH-44 to get the work started, but all went in vain.
Not only NH-44, the alternative national highways (Kokital to Sabroom) and Manu to Singhlongbari (Mizoram) are still in deep freeze though these projects are considered strategic for the state, he said.
�Anyway, we will continue to press our demanded to upgrade NH-44 and two more minor roads to ensure better road connectivity,� he said.
Highlighting the achievements in connectivity, Chowdhury said all the district headquarters have been connected with double-lane roads, while work is on to extend the all-weather-proof road to the subdivisional headquarters. �All the gram panchayats and village committees will also be connected with blacktop road by 2012-13 FY,� he said.
