SILCHAR, Sept 16: Silchar-Durgakona road which connects Assam University, 18 km away, is now in deplorable condition, giving harrowing nerve-jerks to hundreds of students who have to commute everyday to reach their centre of higher education. This road at the same time links polytechnic, medical college as well as NIT, besides several public and private educational institutions. In a memorandum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar on Wednesday, ACKHSA has demanded immediate steps for repairing and improvement of this vital road.
ACKHSA president Rupam Nandi Purkayastha has reminded that it was due to their continuous hammering and movement that NEC sanctioned necessary fund for the improvement of this road during 2004-05. The work was completed two years ago. But surprisingly, after a year, he said due to poor quality and non adherence to specifications, the road in question began to develop cracks, holes and craters. Journey through this road now has become hazardous.
Since a large number of students who move to the University and back home everyday get extremely exhausted, physically and mentally. Girl students have agonizing moments of commuting through jerks and jolts. The time involved in both way travel is almost two hours. Purkayastha laments that students have to agitate for good road to travel. Despite drawing the attention of authorities concerned from time to time, no action by the PWD (R) has been initiated. ACKHSA through this memorandum sends the signal unless immediate repair and improvement work is taken up, students in general will have no option than to organize large scale movement which might block all sorts of vehicular traffic on the road that leads to Hailakandi. The question now being raised: Will this road be included for improvement in the Chief Minister’s declared priority project of 20,000 km of new roads? (The Sentinel)