Madhubani: The miserable condition of the National Highway 227 passing through Madhubani in Bihar has pricked the government's bubble that connectivity has improved in the state. A drone footage of the road, passing through the Kaluahi-Basopatti-Harlakhi area, shows the barely existing surface dotted with huge potholes. The stretch was given the National Highway status in 2001.
"Many ministers and MLAs often pass through this highway. District Magistrates also pass through here. But no one sees the condition of the road. For seven years this road has been in the same condition. If we travel on the National Highway, it seems like we're walking in a forest or a river. Because every 20 feet there's a pit," rued Ramprasad, a local resident.
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In 2020, the repair work for the road was left incomplete by the contractor, who was removed from the job by the NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) in the middle of a Rs 28 crore project. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Contractor Ravindra Kumar said, "The rate of material has increased. For many days the department has not paid, neither the goods are coming. We were not able to pay the labourers. Due to this, the project was left incomplete".
The matter was also highlighted by political strategist Prashant Kishor, who took a jibe at CM Nitish Kumar. "Reminiscent of the condition of roads in Bihar in the Jungle Raj of the 90s, this is National Highway 227 (L) of Madhubani district of Bihar. Recently Nitish Kumar ji was speaking to the people of the road construction department in a program that they should tell everyone about the good condition of roads in Bihar," Kishor tweeted.
