Aasu protests poor condition of Dhodar Ali Road in Sivasagar

Dibrugarh: Members of the All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) on Friday took out a protest rally at Nazira in Sivasagar district, demanding immediate repair of the historic Dhodar Ali Road.

Raising slogans against both, the BJP-led state govt and Congress MLA from Nazira, Debabrata Saikia, the protesters expressed frustration over the condition of the 212-km historic road, which connects Kamargaon in Golaghat to Joypur in Dibrugarh.

Despite being included in the state’s ambitious Asom Mala programme, daily commuters have been facing severe hardships due to the dilapidated condition of the road.

The current crisis stems from an abandoned renovation project, which was initiated in Oct, 2021, when a 45-km stretch between Nakachari in Jorhat to Balighat in Sivasagar, awarded to contractor M/s Shiva Harlalka, with a budget of Rs 213 crore, was left incomplete after the contractor abandoned the project midway.

“The Dhodar Ali Road situation has crossed all limits of negligence. This historic road, built during the Ahom rule, around 1687, has been reduced to a muddy track. The govt’s inaction is unacceptable, and both, the BJP-led govt and the local MLA, must answer for this failure,” Aasu’s Sivasagar district president Manab Hazarika said.

“We demand immediate restoration of this crucial transportation artery and a thorough investigation as to why the contractor was allowed to abandon such an important project without consequences. The half-completed work has made conditions worse,” Aasu’s Sivasagar district general secretary Dipankar Saikia added.

Local organisations, including the Asomiya Yuva Mancha and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, had previously submitted memorandums to district authorities, demanding action. However, with no visible progress, despite multiple appeals, Aasu has intensified its campaign, warning of larger protests if immediate steps are not taken.