BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 20th December 2024: Frustration and anger have boiled over in the Harina area as locals took to the streets on Friday morning, blocking the national highway to demand the completion of a bridge that has been under construction for 17 years. The bridge on Harina-Chalitachari road, which spans the Manu river alongside Sabroom Agartala National Highway No. 8, has seen no signs of completion, leaving villagers bitter and desperate.
The construction of the bridge began 17 years ago during the tenure of the previous government. However, even after six years under the current administration, the project remains unfinished. This bridge is a crucial link for thousands of residents in the Chalitachari area. A temporary footbridge that once provided an alternative route was washed away in the floods last August, forcing locals, students, and patients to cross the half-completed bridge at great risk.
Despite numerous petitions to public representatives and administrative officials, the villagers’ pleas have gone unanswered. In a show of collective frustration, they began blocking National Road No. 8 in Sabroom Agartala early Friday morning. Students also joined the protest, highlighting the widespread impact of the incomplete bridge.
The blockade continued until 10 am when the administration intervened. The Deputy General Manager of NBCC provided a written promise that the bridge construction would be completed by next February. “We have been waiting for 17 years, and now we have a written promise. We hope this time it will be fulfilled,” said one of the protestors.
The villagers’ actions underscore the stark contrast between government promises and the reality on the ground. “Ministers may stand on stage and make grand declarations, but the truth is evident in the villages and hills of our state,” remarked another protestor.
