Pala demands urgent action to improve NH-44

New Delhi: Former Union Minister and Lok Sabha member from Shillong, Vincent H Pala, on Wednesday met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Oscar Fernandes and appraised him of the pitiable condition of National Highway 44 from Jowai to Badarpur which has been in a bad shape for years despite several protests and reminders to the Centre.
“Work for the NH-44 was allotted to a contractor; but neither the contractor nor the Centre has madeany effort to maintain the vital road,” Pala, who also submitted a letter to the Minister, said, adding, “This has resulted in serious hardship to the local people and those passing through this strategic road that links the State with the rest of the region and in fact the rest of the country.”
Incidentally, exasperated over the Government’s inaction to repair the arterial NH-44, four Jaintia Hills based organisations with the support of the Dorbar Shnong (village councils) of ten villages under Narpuh Elaka in East Jaintia Hills District called for night road blockades this week.
The road blockades were called in protest against the adamant attitude of the government to repair the strategic highway that links the eastern part of Meghalaya, Barak Valley of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura with mainland India.
“The deplorable road condition has put the life of commuters at high risk and in fact caused several accidents in recent past. Many vehicles, particularly heavily loaded trucks break down or capsize on the middle of the road thereby blocking the highly congested highway for hours which only adds to the problem,” Pala said.
In addition the long stretch of the National Highway from Tongseng Narpuh via Sunapur till Ratacherra passes through landslide prone areas and remains shut for days at a stretch, especially during the monsoon season, Pala said.
Accidents are a common occurrence on this stretch of the road and scores of lives have been lost in the past few years on this particular stretch of the highway, he informed the Minister.
Pala urged the Union Minister to immediately take up the issue with the concerned officials and take urgent remedial measures.
The 630-km long NH-44 is a vital National Highway in Northeast India that connects Shillong with Sabroom, near India-Bangladesh border in Tripura, and is the only National Highway that links Tripura’s capital Agartala with the rest of the region.