Dilapidated Assam Highways Affecting Nagaland’s Economy

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in a letter, addressed to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, has said that the dilapidated conditions of NH- 36 and NH-39, connecting Assam and rest of the country with Manipur and Nagaland has adversely affected the economy of the two states.

In the letter, Rio has mentioned that owing to the battered conditions of the two national highways, the transport costs of vehicles carrying goods to the two states have gone obnoxiously high.

"Due to the ramshackle condition of the national highways connecting Nagaland with rest of the country, which pass through Assam, most of the good carrying trucks have either refused to come to the state or have entered the state much late than the estimated arrival time and this has led to a shortage of goods in the state. Therefore, I request you to kindly look into the matter and expedite the repair and construction of the broken roads and make travel and transport smoother," Rio wrote in the letter.

He also informed Sonowal that owing to the bad roads, the businesses in the state have been suffering and due to this, the state's economy has suffered as well.

Same is the condition with Manipur as well.

In the letter, Rio appraised Sonowal that even after repeated requests made by both the Nagaland and Manipur CMs, the conditions of the national highways connecting the two states with Assam have not improved till date.

"When the nation is looking east for improving its ties with the Southeast Asian Nations, bad road conditions connecting the nations with these nations would only hamper the progress and send a wrong signal," Rio further wrote.

It may be mentioned here that the letter has now created ripples among the Assam government officials.