AGARTALA, January 30 (TIWN): Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) delegation is likely to visit here in Tripura on February 9, Chief Engineer Sunil Bhowmik of state PWD department informed to TIWN. Asked about the recent status of the NH-44 double lane work, the official of PWD department said that the Udaipur-Sabroom NH-44 double lane work has been finalized with Oriental Structural engineering based on Udaipur has been selected for the work.Talking to TIWN today Chief Engineerl of the state PWD department said that recently the Udaipur- Sabroom and the Agartala-Udaipur NH-44 double laning work has been finalized with the land has already been acquired and being handed over to the govt.. “Very recently the compensation amount will also be given to the affected families and the fund is available.”, official said. The oriental structural engineering agency has been selected for the work of the Udaipur-Sabroom work, said the official. He also said that the selected agencies have already started their preface work for the maintenance work of the NH-44. “Therefore it will take atleast 2 to 3 months for the maintenance work of the NH-44 under Udaipur-Sabroom and Agartala-Udaipur”, Mr. Bhowmik told to TIWN.

Earlier the PWD Engineer in chief Sunil Bhowmik talking to the reporters at the civil secretariat said that 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, said Bhowmik earlier.

Bhowmik earlier 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.

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.