Rajdeep Roy raises Mahasadak issue in Parliament

Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy, on Wednesday, raised the issue of the East-West corridor project, which has been lying incomplete for several years.

Aimed to connect south Assam’s Silchar with Saurashtra in Gujarat, the project, commonly known as Mahasadak, was announced by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on October 10, 1998. The 3,300km Silchar-Saurashtra road was supposed to be completed by 2007.

On Wednesday, Roy raised the issue of the project in Parliament and sought information about its present status, particularly the 31km-portion from Balacherra to Harangajao, which has been in a deplorable condition for years.

He said that commuters face a lot of trouble travelling on the route, especially during the ongoing monsoon season and sought a response from the minister concerned in this regard.

Sources said the road between Balacherra and Harangajao, which is in an abysmal condition in many areas including Balacherra, Durbintilla, Devinala and few others, was about to be made a four-lane route. Three bridges and three tunnels were about to be constructed as part of the project. However, the latest status about that is not known.

Roy, who has been actively raising issues related to the progress and development of Barak Valley after becoming the MP, has been lauded by persons from different circles. Videos of him speaking in Parliament were posted and shared by many users on social media.

The foundation stone for the East-West corridor project was laid by then minister for surface transport B.C. Khanduri and Union finance minister Jaswant Singh in 2004.