BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 17th January 2025: The road from Udaipur’s Matabari to Sonamura’s Srimantapur check post, a critical artery in Tripura has become a lightning rod for public frustration due to numerous issues that have plagued its three-year construction.
Irregularities have been reported since the beginning, with concerns ranging from the shoddy construction of the adjoining wall—resulting in cracks and collapses—to the snail’s pace of progress and substandard carpeting. The project, which was supposed to be a boon for the state’s infrastructure, has instead become a subject of ire and disappointment.
Awarded to Satish Prasad Company, an out-of-state contractor, the project budget was set at around Rs 111 crore. Despite facing various adversities, the construction has dragged on, leading to mounting complaints from drivers and the common people about the slow progress. Recently, the work of pouring pitch has caused further discontent among the locals.
Pitch work is currently being carried out from the south bank of the Sonamura Friendship Bridge to Rabindranagar Shantipalli. However, complaints regarding the quality of work have surfaced. “The asphalt pouring is being done at night, and by morning, we see that the asphalt and stones are already coming off the road after just a few vehicles have passed,” said a frustrated local resident.
Drivers and locals alike have voiced their concerns, with some even picking up loose stones by hand to demonstrate the poor quality of the work. “The government has made arrangements to build this road for the development of people from all sections, so it should be constructed while maintaining all the quality standards,” demanded another resident. “If it is not done correctly, the work should be stopped temporarily. We may block the road in the coming days as a form of protest.”