Mizoram CM urges Centre to designate National Highways in Mizoram as strategic highways

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma urged the Centre to designate National Highways in the state as strategic highwayst to expedite their constructions, official sources said.  During a meeting with Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta, who is currently visiting Mizoram, Lalduhoma stressed the need for declaring the national highways in the state as part of strategic highways to ensure faster as well as better construction and maintenance, the sources said.  He also urged Tamta to immediately sanction funds for the construction of Kawnpui – Sairang sector of the NH-6/306, the primary lifeline of Mizoram.  The NH-306 is the lifeline of Mizoram connecting Aizawl with Assam’s Silchar town and a portion of it is also called NH-6.

Although already earmarked, the NH-6/306 is yet to be widened into four lanes. The chief minister said that the Silchar-Aizawl road is a vital link connecting Mizoram with mainland India and due to pending work in the Kawnpui-Sairang sector, the state had faced severe disruption during monsoon last year.  He said that Mizoram is also now facing disruption with the onset of monsoon due to the pending construction of this particular sector. Citing that funds are yet to be sanctioned for the construction of Kawnpui-Sairang sector, Lalduhoma urged the Centre to release the funds as soon as possible so that work could begin immediately on what he termed as Mizoram’s primary lifeline.

During the meeting, the Mizoram chief minister also stressed the need for concrete pavement across the state due to heavy rainfall that badly affected and shortened the durability of roads, the sources said.  Concrete roads are far better than the existing  bituminous pavements given Mizoram’s climate and weather conditions, the chief minister said.  Although concrete roads are more expensive to construct, their maintenance cost is much lower and they are more durable, he informed the visiting Union Minister.  Tamta assured Lalduhoma that he would pursue and take up with appropriate authorities all the concerns raised by the chief minister, the sources said