Tripura CM writes to Gadkari over dilapidated NH stretches, seeks urgent Centre's intervention

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has written to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking immediate intervention to restore key national highways in the state, citing severe deterioration and hardships faced by commuters, particularly during the monsoon.

In his letter, Saha highlighted the poor condition of National Highway-08, which stretches from Churaibari in North Tripura to Agartala, as well as NH-208 and NH-108B, connecting Kumarghat, Kailashahar, Kamalpur, Khowai and Agartala.

The chief minister urged Gadkari to immediately depute a senior team from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to assess the ground situation and ensure the highways are restored to a motorable condition.

Saha also requested the Union minister to direct the NHIDCL Managing Director to regularly review the progress of construction and repair works with field-level officials in Tripura and ensure timely completion of the projects.

Speaking on the issue, the chief minister said the matter has been consistently raised with the Centre.

"Yesterday, I sent a letter to the Secretary, and he also visited the affected areas. Today, I have written another letter. Earlier too, I had discussed the road issues with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. I had informed them that the problem would resurface again during rainfall," Saha said.

He added that Chief Secretary Kiran Gitte has also taken up the issue with the concerned authorities.

"We have been continuously putting pressure on them. However, the roads come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, not the state government. We have been repeatedly informing them about the problems. They are keeping a close watch on the situation and work is underway," he said.

The chief minister also reviewed the progress of Agartala Smart City projects, stating that heavy rainfall has slowed ongoing works.

"I am keeping a close eye on the Smart City work. I have directed the concerned officials to complete the projects as soon as possible and ensure that the work is carried out properly. Due to rainfall, some disruption has occurred, but necessary instructions have been given to speed up the process," Saha said.