Centre to help ease Siliguri traffic: Bista

AVIJIT SINHA, TT, 31 Jul 2019, Siliguri: The Centre has promised initiatives to develop roads to end congestion plaguing Siliguri and its vicinity, particularly at Darjeeling More, the principal entry and exit point to the city, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said on Tuesday.

The BJP MP, who met Union minister of surface transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday, said the minister had asked him to speak to state and central officials and draw up a comprehensive plan for development of road infrastructure in Siliguri.

While speaking to Gadkari, the MP also apprised him about the chock-a-block situation at Darjeeling More as NH31, which connects the crossing with Matigara, is a four-lane road and there is a need to widen it to ease the traffic.

Earlier, Bista had met Gadkari and raised the issue in the Lok Sabha where the minister had replied that the Centre had plans to widen the NH 31 stretch Bista at the meeting with Gadkari in New Delhi.

"I have also proposed to the minister to build a four-lane road that would connect various parts of Siliguri metropolitan area.The severe traffic congestion at Darjeeling More has become an everyday hassle and a ring road, connecting Darjeeling More, Matigara, Fulbari, Dabgram, and Salugara can ease the traffic flow," said Bista. 

Gadkari has assured that his department would work on the proposed project, the MP added The efforts of the MP ind- icate his party's strategy to play the development card. "In two earlier tenures, when BJP had lawmakers from the Darjeeling (Lok Sabha) seat, residents have never seen efforts to resolve problems like traffic congestion," said a political analyst.

The efforts also seem a strategy to counter Trinamul. "State minister Gautam Deb has recently said he will hold a dharna on August 3 and demand that the Centre widen the road.