MP Dr Rajdeep Roy visits Mahasadak, assures to make the expressway motorable by March 2022

April 18: Silchar MP Dr. Rajdeep Roy set out for NH-54, the 4-lane Expressway (Mahasadak) on Saturday. Dr. Roy was accompanied by BJP leaders, departmental officials and contractors. The team led by MP Silchar went to the spot at Balacherra- Harangajao segment, where a stretch of 25.25 kms was still unfinished since the launch of this ambitious plan by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Dr. Roy informed that as of now 30 percent work of this particular stretch has been done. Out of the 25.25 kms stretch, work has been done in 9.5 kms stretch.

After inspecting the work, Dr. Rajdeep Roy addressed the media at Balachara where he said that Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari while inaugurating the statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Mahasadak point on 25 December assured that this stretch of road will be complete by March 2022. Dr Roy expressed satisfaction at the pace of work going on at present.

Reviewed work progress of the 25 km 4-lane #Balacherra–#Harangajao expressway with party workers and @MORTHIndia officials.

This road is crucial to connecting #BarakValley with the rest of the country.@nitin_gadkari @OfficeOfNG @himantabiswa @sarbanandsonwal pic.twitter.com/JPlQkRpEOU

— Dr Rajdeep Roy MP ( MS, MCh) (@drrajdeeproy) April 17, 2021

Dr. Rajdeep Roy said, “This stretch of road from ‘Balachara to Harengajao’ is still unfinished. It was a dream of Atalji to connect entire India in a form of golden quadrilateral. The foundation stone of this 4 lane expressway connecting Silchar with Saurashtra was laid in 2004. Today I have come here for physical verification of this stretch of unfinished road. Our commitment to complete the work on time & make the expressway motorable stands despite the difficulties faced during COVID-19 pandemic.” He also said that there are many sinking zones in that stretch wherein a few bridges need to be constructed. He, however, was hopeful that all these would be completed within 31 March, 2022.

Dr. Roy further accused the former Congress government of not taking proper initiative of completion of this 4-lane Expressway during their long regime. He said that in the first year of his tenure it was not possible for him to get this work gain momentum as the nation came to a standstill due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. He said, “The weather of the area is also not so conducive, which disrupts the pace of work in that stretch. The completion of this stretch of road has been one of my prime aim and I will see that this work reach its logical conclusion by March 2022.

The work of Balacherra- Harangajao segment, a stretch of 25.25 kms is being done under the guidance of MoRTH, Government of India and executed by NHIDCL through Sushee Infra & Mines.

It needs mention here that on 27 June, 2019, Rajdeep Roy raised this issue of incomplete Mahasadak in the Lok Sabha during the ‘Matter of urgent public importance.’ He said that the stretch of road from ‘Balachara to Harengajao’ is still unfinished since the launch of this ambitious plan by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2004. He then said in the Parliament that, “It’s due to the apathy of the then central and state government that on the pretext of no clearance from wildlife and forest department, the road in between ‘Balachara to Harengajao’ was never completed.”

Further, on 11 February, Dr. Rajdeep Roy met Nitin Gadkari, Union Cabinet Minister of Roads & Highway, Govt of India wherein he raised this issue of incomplete ‘Mahasadak.’ Dr. Roy later informed that the Minister called in contractors associated with this project and assured the MP that he will definitely look into the matter and give necessary directions for the early completion of this project.

The Balacherra-Harangajao portion of the East-West Corridor is made up of a total of 25.25 km. Of this stretch, 22.05 km falls in Cachar district. The Barail Reserve Forest also falls in this portion. The remaining stretch of 3.20 km falls in Dima Hasao.

Dr. Rajdeep Roy was accompanied by in-charge of BJP Cachar District Committee Bimalendu Roy, senior party leader Nitya Bhushan Dey, Chairman of Silchar Development Authority Manjul Deb, Pulak Das, Pulak Deb, Gopal Roy, Sushankar Roy, Debashish Shome among others.