July 9: Dhodar Ali in Namrup, which connects Dibrugarh and Sivasagar district in the eastern part, is in a deplorable shape. Fed up with false promises to repair this important link road of the Ahom era, the residents of greater Namrup and its adjoining areas are preparing to ride out another monsoon without any help from the government. They have taken recourse to all possible democratic ways of protest for the improvement of the 8-km stretch that’s vital for trade and industrial growth, but to no avail. The stretch falls under Deputy Speaker Pranati Phukan’s constituency. Sources alleged the authorities had not even started the spadework on repairs. Phukan, too, has failed to generate a sufficient sense of urgency in getting repairs started on the stretch of road. The 193-km road runs from Dillighat RCC bridge to Joypur via Namrup. Ironically, Namrup contributes richly to the state’s coffers in terms of revenue as the township has important oil and gas installations of Oil India Ltd, Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Ltd, Assam Petrochemicals Ltd and numerous tea estates. During his last visit to Naharkatia on January 21 this year, chief minister Tarun Gogoi had laid the foundation of the reconstruction-cum-renovation with a two-lane provision. The cost was pegged at nearly Rs 9 crore. PWD minister Ajanta Neog and Phukan were present on the occasion. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) that has spearheaded several protests for development of the road, has voiced concern over the government’s alleged reluctance to extend the road till Joypur Tiniali (211km). “A major stretch of the road is in a deplorable state, creating problems not only for traffic, but for cyclists and pedestrians, especially during the monsoon,” the secretary of the Dibrugarh district unit of AASU, Suvakaran Kohain, said. The condition of the 193-km road is deplorable at stretches extending from Dillighat-Bongaon to Namrup-Sonari Tiniali, Kheremia to Hapjan Chariali and Kamargaon to Joypur. Hundreds of loaded trucks, buses and other vehicles have a tough time plying along the potholed stretches. Assam Petrochemicals Ltd’s product methanol and formalin, tea and stones for construction are transported across the country through this link road. “There is no other road; this road is very important and we fail to understand why the government lacks sincerity,” Kohain said. | ||
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