By TC News Desk
Agartala, 1st September 2025; Left-leaning student and youth activists took to the streets of Kailashahar today demanding immediate repairs to the dilapidated road stretching from the town’s old Dak Bungalow to Rangauti. The protest, led by DYFI’s Kailashahar North Committee, included a symbolic two-hour road blockade in Lakhipur village from 10 am to noon.
Youth leaders Palash Chowdhury and Saif Uddin led the demonstration, warning that a larger agitation would be launched if the government fails to begin restoration work before the upcoming Durga Puja festivities. “This eight-kilometre stretch has been in a state of disrepair for years. It’s completely unfit for travel, and accidents occur almost daily. Around 20,000 people rely on this road to access the northern parts of the town, which have no alternative route,” Chowdhury said.
The road was initially sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in 2021, following longstanding demands from residents. Completed in 2023 at a cost of approximately Rs 7 crore, the project was handed over to a contractor responsible for its maintenance for five years. However, activists allege that corruption plagued the construction from the outset, leading to rapid deterioration within a year of completion.
Despite previous protests by BJP, Congress, and civil society groups, activists claim that both the contractor and relevant government departments have remained indifferent. DYFI leaders have now threatened to escalate their movement, including a possible gherao of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office, if their demands are not met promptly.
