Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday (November 26) announced that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has informed him that 11 new contractors have been hired to speed up the completion of the Jorhat-Dibrugarh highway project, in response to concerns raised by the state government about the slow progress of work.
In a letter to Sarma, Gadkari explained that following a report from his office regarding the restoration and maintenance of the 127-km stretch, the matter had been thoroughly reviewed.
Gadkari highlighted that the work on the Jorhat-Dibrugarh section had been delayed due to several factors, including issues with land acquisition, a shortage of raw materials like silt and sand, and the underperformance of some contractors.
Gadkari noted that the stretch from Numaligarh to Jorhat has already been completed. “In our recent meeting, it was decided to facilitate efficient execution, the section from Jorhat to Dibrugarh, has been divided into smaller fragments and work is ongoing with 11 contractors onboarded,” he said.
9 vehicular underpasses, 6 pedestrian underpasses, 1 flyover
The project involves the construction of nine vehicular underpasses, six pedestrian underpasses, and one flyover, all of which require large quantities of materials such as sand, earth, and boulders.
“I have strictly directed NHIDCL to proactively tackle all such challenges and issues on national highways in Assam, and undertake comprehensive maintenance and restoration of all national highways,” Gadkari added.
He assured Sarma that his ministry would take all necessary steps to ensure the timely completion of the project.