CM Inspects Agartala's Roads and Drainage as Public Frustration Mounts Over Poor Infrastructure Across City

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 18, 2026

Amid growing public concern over the deteriorating condition of roads across Tripura, Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha on Saturday conducted an on-site inspection of roads and drainage infrastructure in Agartala city to review ongoing development works and assess the problems affecting commuters.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) Mayor Dipak Majumder, Councillor Ratna Dutta, Chief Secretary JK Sinha, IAS, secretaries of the concerned departments and senior government officials. During the visit, the team inspected several stretches of roads and drainage projects in the state capital.

The inspection comes at a time when Agartala is witnessing extensive road reconstruction and drainage works at multiple locations simultaneously. While the projects are aimed at modernising the city's infrastructure, they have also caused severe traffic congestion, damaged road surfaces, diversions and disruption to daily life. Residents have been facing prolonged travel delays and inconvenience for several months due to ongoing construction.

Several major road and drainage projects have been taken up through the Urban Development Department, Agartala Municipal Corporation and Agartala Smart City Limited. As work commenced simultaneously on numerous roads, water, electricity, pipeline gas, commuters have raised concerns over the pace of execution, with several construction sites remaining incomplete for an extended period.

The deteriorating condition of roads is not limited to the capital. The Agartala–Dharmanagar National Highway via Khowai has also come under intense public scrutiny after large potholes developed on several stretches despite recent construction and upgradation. Motorists have complained that the damaged highway has become hazardous, particularly during the monsoon, resulting in longer travel times, vehicle damage and increased safety risks.

Responding to the worsening condition of the state's road network, Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari seeking urgent intervention. In his letter, he highlighted the poor condition of NH-08 (Churaibari–Agartala), NH-208 and NH-108B (Kumarghat–Kailashahar–Kamalpur–Khowai–Agartala), stating that their deteriorating condition has caused severe inconvenience to commuters during the ongoing monsoon season.

The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to immediately depute a team of senior officials from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to inspect the highways and ensure effective repair and maintenance measures. He also urged the Managing Director of NHIDCL to regularly monitor the progress of construction and repair works in Tripura and take necessary steps to expedite the projects.

Political criticism has also emerged over the execution of infrastructure projects in Agartala. Opposition leaders have alleged irregularities in the tendering and execution process, claiming that awarding multiple projects simultaneously without adequate execution capacity has prolonged public inconvenience. They have also held former Agartala Smart City CEO Shailesh Yadav responsible for what they describe as unscientific planning and irregularities in project implementation.

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