From Our Correspondent
TURA, Dec 15: A Garo Hills-based group, the NGCO, has raised serious concern over significant delays and construction irregularities on the NH-217 (Tura-Dalu) National Highway, directly contradicting the NHIDCL’s claim of project completion.
“The Tura-Dalu stretch of National Highway-217 remains unfinished after more than five years. Yet, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has falsely declared it complete via newspaper advertisements—a claim that defies the reality on the ground,” the NGCO said in a release.
The organisation stated that on-site checks and public complaints confirm vast unfinished sections, missing retaining walls, and deep cracks splitting the carriageway. These flaws, it argued, pose a daily threat to commuter safety.
The release highlighted the difficulties faced by travelers: “Choking dust plagues commuters, hitting two-wheeler riders hardest on treacherous surfaces. Students and daily commuters have lodged repeated complaints, but contractors ignore them entirely.”
The NGCO added that inspections conducted last year and this year showed no progress. “Chronic delays, bogus completion claims, and safety neglect scream gross negligence and potential corruption,” the statement read.
The group demanded an immediate independent technical inspection of the NH-217 Tura-Dalu stretch by the NHIDCL. They also called for strict penalties against defaulting contractors, mandated time-bound fixes with rigorous quality checks, and a ban on corrupt firms participating in future Garo Hills projects.
