Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Oct 05: In a recent correspondence, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, responded to the concerns raised by Mr. Vishal Jolly, National Executive Member of the BJP, regarding the prolonged issues pertaining to National Highway-04, especially the sections in North & Middle Andaman.
According to the minister’s letter, out of the 331 Km stretch of NH-04 entrusted to NHIDCL for development and maintenance, blacktopping has been completed for 239 Km. An additional 35 Km is expected to be finished by March 2024. Fresh bids for the remaining work on the Middle strait bridge and the road stretches from Neelambur Jetty to Rangat are currently being invited. The NHIDCL is rigorously working to maintain the road’s traffic-worthy condition, particularly during this monsoon season. Additionally, the blockage caused by wooden logs and siltation at the causeway bridge in the Lorojig area has been cleared, with plans to construct a new 12m span bridge in the pipeline. A detailed status table of the NH-04 works has also been provided for clarity.
The Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari emphasized that both MORTH and NHIDCL are keenly aware of the existing problems with NH-04. He ensured that all efforts are in place to restore the road in the forthcoming working season, maintaining its traffic-worthy condition throughout.
Although this letter is now being widely shared by BJP workers as a major achievement but general public are not very happy.
While the letter from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari shines a spotlight on a long-neglected issue, highlighting his personal attention to the NH-04 development, it’s essential to read between the lines. With the upcoming dry season aligning with the probable timeline of the 2014 elections, it becomes evident that the islanders will not witness significant relief before the polls.
It’s disheartening to witness an organization as massive as NHIDCL grappling with the completion of a road project even after an extended period of six years. The long neglected needs and expectations of the islanders appear to be intertwined in a web of bureaucratic processes and delays. With elections on the horizon, one can only hope that their grievances will finally be addressed in a timely and effective manner.
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