Mizoram truckers move HC over poor condition of state's lifeline

Aizawl, Jul 17 (PTI) A truckers' association in Mizoram has sued the state government and a construction company over the poor condition of sections of a national highway which connects Mizoram with the rest of the country through Assam's Silchar town, a leader said on Thursday.

The Mizoram Truck Drivers Association (MTDA) recently filed a PIL at the Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court in connection with the continuous dilapidated condition of the Kawnpui-Sairang stretch of the national highway, the MTDA leader said.

The PIL was admitted by the high court for hearing, he said.

The national highway, NH-306, is the primary lifeline of Mizoram. All supplies come through this national highway from outside the state. It connects Mizoram's capital Aizawl, with Silchar town. A portion of the highway is called NH-6.

The leader said that the petition specifically points to the worsening state of the state's lifeline, particularly during the monsoon, which has long been a cause of concern among drivers, transporters, and the general public.

The road segments in question lie between the 72-95 km mark on NH-306 and the 118-133 km mark on NH-06, he said.

The MTDA, in its plea, emphasised that the national highway serves as Mizoram’s lifeline. Due to landslides and potholes triggered by rain, many vehicles have met with accidents or been damaged.

The association said that despite the road being repeatedly repaired, the quality of work remained subpar, which scared truckers from using the road on several occasions, he said.

Officials of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said that repairing work is being carried out on Kawnpui-Khamrang stretch of NH-6, which is worst affected.

The construction company has recently taken over the Kawnpui-Khamrang and Bilkhawthlir-Kolasib stretches on NH-306, which are in bad condition, from the Mizoram PWD.

In early July, the Kolasib unit of Mizoram Tipper Association (MTA) had repaired the Kawnpui-Khamrang sector and prevented trucks carrying essential commodities from plying on the sector for six days, resulting in an acute shortage of fuel in the state.

State PWD minister Vanlalhlana earlier said that the NH-6/306 between Sairang and Vairengte village near the Assam border was handed over by the MoRTH to the NHIDCL in 2020.

Although the NHIDCL was initially reluctant to fully take over the entire stretch of the national highway due to pending repair work on the Khamrang-Kawnpui sector by the state government, the national highway was fully handed over to the construction company after completion of repair work last year, he had said.

The state government spent Rs 200 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 111.74 crore during the current fiscal to repair the dilapidated sections of the state's primary link as the NHIDCL did not initiate the repairing work in time, he had said.

The state government no longer receives funds from the MoRTH to repair the highway, Vanlalhlana had said.

Meanwhile, the youth wing of the opposition Congress demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Lalduhoma and Vanlalhlana for allegedly failing to take responsibility for the dilapidated condition of the national highway.

The youth wing said that Mizoram will not have good roads until the chief minister and PWD minister are removed. PTI CORR SBN SBN