Tripura govt unhappy with BRO

Agartala, Nov 16 (UNI) The Tripura government has expressed its displeasure over the performance of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the state and asked the authorities to speed up the work of 110 km alternative highway between Agartala (Tripura) and Aizawl (Mizoram).

After holding a meeting with the BRO Chief Engineer and Secretary, Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highway (MSRTH), S S Porwal here today, Tripura PWD Minister Badal Choudhury told mediapersons that the BRO had constructed only 10 km roads of the proposed 80 km in Tripura since 1999.

He blamed the Ministry for delaying the work, which was supposed to connect two cornermost states of Northeast - Mizoram and Tripura - in 2006 and said it was because of lack of execution and pressure on BRO from the Centre.

Meanwhile, Mr Choudhury stated following sustained pressure from the Tripura government, the MSRTH had commissioned RCC Cut and Cover structure tunnel last month, a unique construction, the first of its kind in the country, to avoid landslide problem during monsoon in Sonapur of Meghalaya that had been frequently disrupting communication in Tripura, Mizoram and South Assam.

He said the 123 m long, eight m wide and nine m high clearance tunnel was built on National Highway 44 at the cost of Rs 11.77 crore, as an alternative to provide safe passage to traffic movement and it solved two decades old perpetual problem of surface communication for more than 10 million population in Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and South Assam.

''The two lane RCC Cut and Cover structure tunnel at Sonapur would provide uninterrupted road communication throughout the year in this part,'' Mr Choudhury added.

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