The Bihar government has time and again claimed that roads in the state are in good condition. Contradicting this claim, a video has emerged on social media that shows close to 100 small pool-size craters on the National Highway 227 in Bihar's Madhubani district.
The highway has more than 100 big potholes in a stretch of over 20 km from the Kaluahi village to Umgaon crossing at Basopatti block in the district.
Sharing the video on Twitter, poll strategist Prashant Kishore wrote, "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, Nitishkumar 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."
The Union Road Transport ministry gave the road the status of a national highway in 2001 following which the Bihar government looked after the road, several local residents claimed.
The local residents also claim that the road was being used by the administrative officers in the state, including the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, local MLA, ministers and even the chief minister, but no action was taken to repair it.
"As the road is situated close to the Nepal border, heavy trucks regularly ply on it leading to further deterioration. During the monsoon season, small ponds appear on the road that gives one an experience of traveling through a jungle," said a local resident, Raju Kumar.
Local MLA Arun Shankar Prasad said: "Thrice we raised this issue in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha, but the road construction department has not taken cognizance of the matter."
Interestingly, the road construction minister of Bihar Nitin Navin comes under the BJP quota in Nitish Kumar government.
Ravindra Kumar, the contractor of this road said: "The department has allotted the tender to me, but has not released the fund. The rate of construction materials has already increased. We are unable to pay our laborers. Hence, the repairing of the road has not happened so far.
(With inputs from IANS)
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