Deb threat to launch road protest

Siliguri, Sept. 13: North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb has threatened to launch a movement against the Centre and the National Highways Authority of India if NH31D is not repaired immediately.

“If no initiative for repairs or upgrade of the road to a four-lane highway is seen in the next few days, we will be forced to launch a movement because people face a lot of trouble while travelling on NH31D, particularly in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. The NHAI has to take immediate steps,” Deb said.

R.K. Chaudhry, the project director of NHAI posted in Siliguri, said: “Repairs have been initiated on NH31D. The road was last repaired two years ago and the onus is on the contractors who had carried out the repairs to restore the damaged stretches. We are issuing letters to them to do the work.”

He added: “If the contractors do not take up the task, we will engage other contractors and get the work done before Durga Puja.”