AGARTALA, Sep 10 (TIWN): On June 30, 2015 Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of Agartala-Udaipur double lane construction work as a part of National Highway upgradation.Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Chief Secretary Yash Pal Singh state principal secretary of PWD LokRanjan& other Tripura high officials were present on that occasion. On that day Nitin Gadkari said, the central government has sanctioned a total of Rs 871 crores for the project in two phases. The project was to develop the infrastructure of the state and help to boost the economy and provide job opportunity to the youths of the state. But from June month 2015 to Sept 2016, around 15 months have been crossed, without much progress of the project as CPI-M party contractors delay tactics, irregularities hampering progress.Talking to PWD Minister Badal Choudhury on Saturday, whether the work will get a shape before Durga Puja-2016 or not, he said, “It’s not possible to finish the work on that short time”.

Minister further said, work is going on the Project of double lane which is from Agartala to Sabroom. ‘It will take few times, to finish as the project is huge’, he added.

However, in majority of places, work is fully stopped, Badal Choudhury didn’t mention that.

Minister Badal Choudhury on May, 2015 highlighting the discussion held at the review meeting at Guwahati with Ministry of Roads and Transport said, “Tripura PWD department had urged the centre for immediate release of fund to the respective authorities by the NHIDCL for early commencement of the improvement works of Agartala-Sabroomsection.”Choudhury also said, “Despite taking the matter with the Union Minister, no fund has been released yet for the land acquisition whereas the state govt. here has already taken up the preliminary work assigning the agency.”

However, immediately after the fund release on June 2015, the foundation stone was also laid by Nitin Gadkari himself, and after that in the year 2015 the double lane work although began, primarily from Udaipur/ South Tripura parts, but it was only in the year 2016 from Agartala to Udaipur the construction work was started.

However, mud filling works also got a shape from Agartala-Udaipur. But then suddenly, the work again slowed down & due to the sluggishness of Tripura PWD’s working nature, & then within 2 monthsrain washed away all the soil filled over there.

But talking to PWD Minister it has been known that like every PWD works, this work also left half done. Due to lack of developmental mentality under CPI-M era, state Tripura is undergoing backwardness, no development, & empty industrialization.

Nitin Gadkari on that day also said that, the portion of the alternate highway from Kukital to Sabroom (Kukital to Kailashahar and Teliamura-Amarpur-Sabroom) and Khowai-Agartala Corridor also have been identified for new national highways under Bharatmala project. But in this Golden Era nothing is possible in a smooth manner, as corruption has gripped sates every departments.