Agartala, 23 Sep 2025: To ensure smooth vehicular movement on National Highway-208, which connects Kailashahar, Kamalpur, and Khowai, sufficient manpower and machinery have been deployed at various locations. The authority responsible for the highway’s upkeep, NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.), is continuously monitoring the situation at multiple levels.
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways had earlier informed the Chief Minister through a letter dated 22 July about these steps. Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha shared this information in the State Assembly today while responding to a notice raised by MLAs Nirmal Biswas and Shailendra Chandra Nath.
The Chief Minister explained that the road network from North Tripura to Agartala via Kailashahar–Kamalpur–Khowai is divided into three National Highways:
Kailashahar–Kamalpur–Khowai forms NH-208. Khowai to Agartala is part of NH-108B. Kurti to Kailashahar connects via NH-208A.
Among these, NH-208 has suffered significant damage, especially during the monsoon, due to heavy rainfall, pavement damage, and signs of settlement. Several complaints have been received, and the matter has been highlighted in newspaper reports.
To address this, on 7 May this year, officials from the PWD, NHIDCL (Executive Director, Deputy GM), the District Magistrate of Khowai, and representatives of the EPC contractor jointly inspected the road’s repair works. Later, on 27 June, NHIDCL’s Director (Technical-II) and Executive Director (Technical) visited Tripura and held a meeting with the Chief Minister to resolve the issues.
Regarding repairs, the Chief Minister stated that the EPC contractor has been mobilizing manpower and equipment over the past two months and is actively undertaking corrective measures. The work is expected to be completed within 1–2 months. A Cure Period Notice was issued on 13 September, giving the contractor 60 days to rectify defects. If the contractor fails to comply within the stipulated timeframe, termination proceedings will be initiated.
