AGARTALA, June 30 (TIWN): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on June 30, Tuesday laid the foundation stone for double-lane construction work of Agartala – Sabroom National Highway in presence of State Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. The main programme was held at Agartala Amtali near the by-pass road. Agartala-Sabroom national highway would be converted into double lane highway and the union government had already sanctioned the project. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, PWD Minister Badal Chowdhury and Principal Secretary, PWD Lok Ranjan would remain present in the foundation stone laying programme.However, on Tuesday laying the foundation stone here at Agartala Amtali Union Minister Nitin Gadkari declared that the road connecting Sabroom with Kukital and Teliamura to Sabroom via Amarpur would be brought under the National Highway project.The Agartala-Sabroom road would be double lane having width of 10-meter excluding pavement. The 73 km Udaipur-Sabroom road will require Rs. 450 crore while 48-km Agartala-Udaipur road will need Rs. 462 crore to get double lane. According to the official, the Centre has already sanctioned fund to face lift the Agartala-Sabroom via Udaipur road which has tagged with NH-44.Besides, during the foundation stone laying in ceremony CM Manik Sarkar admitting the poor transportation system of the state in presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had criticised the previous UPA-II government for failing to eye on Tripura in regard of better transportation system.

Sarkar following the old trend had praised the BJP led NDA government at the center on Tuesday. He said, “The BJP Government at the center has brought a very good policy in converting some of the major roads here in the state into National Highway.” 

Land demarcation and identification survey for double laning of Udaipur-Sabroom segment in the National Highway 44 is complete and acquisition work would be started as soon as work order is placed. Tender was floated for the double laning work some three months back with the Oriental Structural Engineers Pvt. Ltd was awarded the work.

It is to be mentioned here that National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) officials have visited the state on the month of April this year to review the proposed project work of Agartala-Sabroom and Agartala-Udaipur national highway double lane work. Two companies named as Oriental Structural Engineering and KRC Company has been assigned to take over the work for double lane, said the officials.

The official of the state PWD department had said earlier that some of the offices of the state govt. and houses of the public would be evicted during the project work. “The Ministry has sanctioned Rs.17 crore for water supply pipeline under the DWS department, while Rs. 69 crore has been sanctioned for shifting of electric posts and for land acquisition Rs. 400 crore has been sanctioned,” said the official.