HT Correspondent
JORHAT, July 1: Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has urged Union minister Nitin Gadkari to intervene and take immediate action to complete the Teok-Sivasagar highway in Jorhat, which is in a deplorable condition.
Gogoi, while traveling through a stretch of the highway between Jorhat and Sivasagar district on Sunday, uploaded visuals showing the pitiable condition exacerbated by incessant monsoonal rains, and sought Gadkari’s attention.
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In the video, Gogoi emphasised that the Teok-Sivasagar highway is crucial for connectivity in the Jorhat region.
“Work on several portions of the road has been ongoing for several years. The condition of the road is deplorable, leading to frequent accidents and long traffic jams. Despite multiple contractors and tenders, the issues persist, causing severe inconvenience to the public,” Gogoi stated in a video posted on the micro-blogging site X.
Gogoi noted that Gadkari had visited Jorhat recently and expressed optimism that the Minister would take necessary steps to expedite completion and alleviate public suffering.
The Lok Sabha MP, who had been in Jorhat since Saturday, visited Jhanjimukh in the Teok assembly constituency on Sunday to assess villages affected by severe waterlogging.
Highlighting Gadkari’s previous visits to Jorhat and his reputation for swift project implementation nationwide, Gogoi appealed to prioritize this critical highway project.
Several accidents, including fatalities, have occurred recently due to safety lapses such as inadequate barricading, warning signs, and street lighting for commuters.
Notably, two private companies contracted for the project in the past five years were terminated by NHIDCL due to reported anomalies in implementation.
It’s worth mentioning that student bodies like AJYCP and AASU, along with various organisations, have been protesting for three years against alleged malpractices, substandard work quality, and project delays, causing significant commuter hardships on this key Upper Assam road.
On May 1, 2015, Gadkari laid the foundation stone for the ambitious four-lane project at a ceremony in Jorhat, attended by then-chief minister Tarun Gogoi, father of Gaurav Gogoi.
