Local residents have expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in four-laning work of VIP Road from Gossaipur to Kumbhirgram in Barak Valley’s Cachar district.

The 16km stretch is one of the two routes connecting Silchar town with the Kumbhirgram airport and is one of the busiest roads in the district. The foundation stone to convert the road into a four-lane route was laid by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in 2017.

Local residents Bijoy Saha, Kishore Singh, Saif Uddin Laskar and Iqbal Hussain said the construction, which started in 2017, has not been completed yet leading to frequent traffic snarls. This causes a lot of trouble for commuters on a regular basis, but the authorities concerned are showing no urgency to wrap up the work, they rued.

They alleged that the road has been in a shambles in a number of areas, including Udharbond market, Gossaipur and Dighirpar, among others. The dust-filled road poses several problems for locals, they said.

The residents also alleged anomalies in the construction claiming that major cracks have appeared and potholes developed on the road in a number of areas, including at Six Mile and Arunabond, among others. They blamed the authorities concerned for the problems.

They said PWD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during his last visit in November 2019 had inspected VIP Road and directed the authorities to complete the work by March this year. However, a lot of work is pending with February ending soon, they claimed. They demanded the work be positively completed within March.

No PWD official was available for a comment. Udharbond legislator Mihir Kanti Shome could not be reached for his reaction on the matter.