AGARTALA, January 15 (TIWN): The maintenance work of the National Highway (NH-44) is under process here in Tripura with the entire stretch from Churaibari till Sabroom including Manu-Simlung segment is likely to be taken up by the next financial year from the BRO, said PWD Engineer in chief Sunil Bhowmik here at the Civil secretariat.
Speaking to the reporters here at the civil secretariat the PWD engineer in Chief Sunil Bhowmik said that the state PWD department would take up the maintenance work of another 94 Km from the BRO by April, 2015. “Therefore the handing over of note from BRO to PWD is under process”, said Bhowmik. PWD authority is currently engaged in developing the 104 Km stretch of National Highway from Agartala till Churaibari that recently came under the jurisdiction of the state government from Border Roads Organizations (BRO), said Bhowmik.

 Adding to that Bhowmik said that the maintenance work from Agartala to Bishalgarh is over with the Atharomura 18 to 19 Km stress work is under process. He said that amongst 104 Km stress from Agartala to Churaibari, the PWD has taken up the maintenance work of 30 to 35 Km, and the maintenance work of 12 Km from it is currently under progress, said Bhowmik.    

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently approved an additional fund of Rs. 15 crore for maintenance and development of the 104 Km stretch of NH 44. A separate work for carpeting along the NH 44 till Churaibari is currently under progress.

A separate project for Flood Damage Control is likely to be introduced soon in the state. The Public Works Department recently sent a Rs. 13 crore project proposal to the central government. The project would address flood damage situations in different parts of the state.

However it is mentionable here that earlier Minister Bhanulal Saha laid stress on four lane work of National Highway-44 (NH-44) in Tripura. Saying that the state govt. has been demanding for an alternative National Highway but the sanction is still awaited, Tripura Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha during a pre-budget meeting with the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urged the central govt. to take a necessary action in regard of laying four lane to NH-44. Saha said that although the state govt. has been perusing the Union Govt. to develop the NH-44 to four lane, yet the physical progress of even 2 lane is far from satisfactory.