Rajib Bhattacharjee raises alarm in Rajya Sabha over pothole-ridden national highways in Tripura, urging urgent repairs, increased funding, and corrective action under the PM Gati Shakti initiative to ensure road safety and smooth mobility.
Tripura’s road infrastructure came under intense national scrutiny on Tuesday after BJP state president and Member of Parliament Rajib Bhattacharjee raised serious concerns in the Rajya Sabha over the deteriorating condition of several key national highways in the state.
While acknowledging the massive expansion of road connectivity in Tripura over the last decade, Bhattacharjee warned that poor maintenance and growing potholes are now threatening safety, mobility, and economic activity.
Speaking during the session, Bhattacharjee referred specifically to National Highway-8 (Mungiakami–Ambassa stretch), NH-108B, NH-208B, and NH-208A, stating that large potholes and damaged surfaces have become a recurring problem across these routes. These highways are vital lifelines for Tripura, connecting remote interior regions with district headquarters, markets, healthcare facilities, and interstate trade corridors.
Bhattacharjee credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for transforming the road map of the northeastern region since 2014. He highlighted that Tripura earlier had only one national highway but now has eight national highways, out of which six have already been completed, while two remain under construction. This expansion, he said, has significantly improved connectivity, trade prospects, and integration with the rest of the country.
However, the BJP leader cautioned that infrastructure growth must be matched with timely maintenance and quality control. He pointed out that deep potholes and damaged road stretches are causing severe hardship to daily commuters, farmers transporting agricultural produce, emergency ambulance services, and pedestrians. In several areas, vehicular movement slows down drastically, increasing travel time and accident risks.
“This situation has created serious difficulties in communication and mobility across the state,” Bhattacharjee told the House, stressing that neglected road conditions undermine the very purpose of infrastructure development.
Urging swift intervention, he called upon the concerned Union ministry to take immediate corrective measures under the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti initiative. He demanded a comprehensive technical survey of the affected highway stretches to identify structural flaws and maintenance gaps. Bhattacharjee also sought enhanced financial allocation to accelerate repair, resurfacing, and long-term maintenance work.
Experts note that Tripura’s heavy monsoon rainfall, combined with increased traffic load, has contributed to rapid road damage in recent years. Without timely repairs, potholes can expand quickly, leading to higher maintenance costs and safety hazards.
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Bhattacharjee’s intervention highlights a dual reality facing Tripura’s road network—remarkable expansion driven by central infrastructure schemes, alongside persistent challenges related to durability, monitoring, and upkeep. His remarks are expected to push both the state and central governments to prioritize highway repairs in the coming months, especially before the next monsoon season.
The issue of highway safety and maintenance is likely to remain a key focus area as Tripura continues its journey toward improved connectivity and economic growth.
