Guwahati, Aug 31 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said poor maintenance of roads by the National Highways Authority of India was “responsible” for the tragic accident on NH 27 that left seven people dead a day ago.
Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia wrote to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking suspension of toll collection in the state and a comprehensive audit of all roads where levies are collected from vehicle owners.
A head-on collision between a truck and a minibus took place on National Highway-27 at Tetelia near Sonapur in Kamrup Metropolitan district on Sunday evening, killing four people on the spot and injuring seven others.
The toll rose to seven as three more people succumbed to their injuries, police said on Monday.
The state government will pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased, and the treatment of the injured will be free, Sarma said.
“The public claimed that potholes on the national highway caused this accident. The police, in their investigation, found that poor maintenance by the NHAI is responsible for this unfortunate accident,” the CM told reporters at the accident site.
According to the police, the collision occurred due to potholes on the national highway, he added.
The NHAI usually gives contracts for maintenance, and in this case, the contractor concerned failed to discharge duties properly, he said.
“The chief secretary has spoken to the NHAI chairman, who promised that the road will be repaired immediately. He also assured that future maintenance work will be monitored closely. We will definitely take action so that such incidents do not recur,” the CM said.
The police have registered a case and will carry out a detailed probe, and no one will be spared if found guilty, he added.
Sarma said that the tragic accident has left him anguished and offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
In his letter to Gadkari, Saikia said: “…this is not an isolated case. Reports from other toll stretches in Assam also show pothole-ridden surfaces, poor upkeep, and repeated accidents, even while tolls continue to be collected.” The public is being asked to pay toll for roads that are “unsafe and in poor condition”, which is “inconsistent with the purpose of toll collection and with the principle recognised by the courts that toll should not be charged for roads that are not properly maintained”, he pointed out in the letter.
Saikia sought the central minister’s intervention for immediate suspension of toll collection in Assam until the roads are repaired and certified motorable.
He also demanded an “independent safety and maintenance audit” of all toll plazas and roads under toll collection in Assam, and a detailed inquiry into alleged maintenance failures, recurring accidents, contractual lapses involving NHAI, concessionaires and independent engineers.
Saikia also sought compensation and immediate relief for families of the deceased and injured in Sonapur and other accident cases on toll roads, and publication of a corrective action plan with timelines, responsibility allocation and public disclosure of compliance.
“The situation in Assam requires not a piecemeal response but a statewide corrective intervention in the interest of public safety and administrative accountability,” he added.
The Congress leader emphasised that the Sonapur crash was cited only as one example of a wider pattern, as similar accidents and poor road conditions have been reported from other toll stretches in Assam, which “justifies a statewide suspension of toll collection and a comprehensive audit of all such roads”.
According to Guwahati Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Safiqul Hussain, the minibus was travelling towards Guwahati and the truck was moving in the opposite direction, when the accident occurred.
“The driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle and hit the truck in the other lane. The bus driver allegedly lost control after the vehicle fell into a large pothole in the middle of the road,” he added.
An officer of the Khetri Police Station said that 14 people, including the driver, were in the bus and all of them bore the brunt of the accident. None in the truck suffered any injuries.
Locals blocked the highway on Sunday night, protesting against the poor maintenance of the highway.
“Many accidents have taken place in this stretch due to pathetic road conditions. A few days ago, a sand-laden truck overturned after falling into a pothole in the middle of the road. We have been demanding repair of the road, but NHAI has done nothing,” a protester said.
Just a kilometre from the accident site, NHAI has a toll booth at Sonapur. The protesters have shut the toll plaza and said they would not allow it to open until the road is repaired.
Earlier during the day, Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner Swapneel Paul and Guwahati Police Commissioner Parthasarathi Mahanta held a discussion with locals from Sonapur and Khetri in the presence of local MLA and MP. PTI TR ACD TR BDC
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