Mahasadak project: Sushmita Dev meets Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, requests to expedite, raises soil stability concerns

Trinamool’s Rajya Sabha MP, Sushmita Dev, met with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to discuss the progress of the Mahasadak (East-West Corridor) project between Dima Hasao and Cachar districts in Assam. She also handed over a letter to Gadkari requesting him to expedite the project’s completion, citing its importance for the region’s development. 

In her letter, Sushmita Dev raised the issue of soil stability of East-West corridor with the Minister and wrote “The road should sustain the weather conditions because soil stability is a big problem there and without gauging the situation the work being done may well not sustain.” She also suggested the Minister to “Consider elevating those portions of the road which have issues of soil stability.”

Mentioning about her meeting with Gadkari, Dev wrote on Facebook, “Met with Honourable Minister Sh Nitin Gadkari ji about the ongoing work of Mahasarak between Dima Hasao & Cachar Distrct. A much-delayed project where the main issue will be soil stability owed to the terrain & the geographical challenges. He assured me that he will ask the engineers to look into the technological side to ensure that the road sustains. I did ask him to consider elevating the portions where stability is an issue. Hope to see this project finish as early as possible….”

The foundation stone of Mahasadak was laid by the then Minister for Surface Transport B.C. Khanduri and Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in 2004. The 3,300 km Silchar-Saurashtra East-West Corridor was supposed to be completed by 2007 however the project has been delayed.

The Mahasadak project now is a part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, an ambitious initiative to connect India’s major economic corridors. The East-West Corridor, which runs from Saurashtra in Gujarat to Silchar in Assam, will pass through several states, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. The project is expected to improve connectivity and reduce travel time between the eastern and western parts of the country.