NH-17 repair work from Satpokhli to Raibari to begin by mid-September: Assam BJP MLA

Repair work on a nearly 15-km stretch of National Highway-17 connecting Satpokhli to Bongra-Raibari via Mirza Chowk in Assam's Kamrup district is expected to begin by mid-September, Palashbari MLA Himangshu Shekhar Baishya said.

Baishya said he had submitted a request to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seeking urgent repair of the 14.985-km stretch of NH-17, citing the deteriorating condition of the road and the inconvenience faced by commuters.

According to Baishya, the Chief Minister acted promptly on his request and forwarded it to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) for necessary action.

“The tender process will begin within the next 10 days and repair work on the stretch is expected to start from the middle of September,” Baishya said in a statement.

The MLA had earlier inspected the road stretch on May 9 in the presence of the concerned NHIDCL and Public Works Department officials. In a letter dated July 31 addressed to the Chief Minister, Baishya had highlighted the poor condition of the road and sought immediate maintenance.

The letter stated that the road is a principal connectivity link through Mirza town and that a major portion of the stretch remained waterlogged due to inadequate drainage. It also pointed out that NHIDCL was already engaged in construction of a four-lane bypass and urged the authorities to undertake necessary maintenance of the existing road until the bypass work is completed.

Baishya expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for responding to the issue and forwarding his request to NHIDCL without delay.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the honourable Chief Minister for his prompt response to the problems of the people and his commitment to public interest,” Baishya said.

The proposed repairs are expected to provide relief to commuters using the busy NH-17 stretch connecting the Mirza area with other parts of Kamrup district.