Silchar: Residents of Barkhola on Tuesday stopped overloaded goods trucks on the damaged Silchar-Jaintia-Kalain road and staged a protest, alleging that repeated assurances on repairing the arterial route had not been followed by action.The protesters alleged that though vehicles carrying more than 20 tonnes are barred from using the road, overloaded trucks continue to ply the stretch, worsening its condition. They also questioned what they called the failure of Barkhola police to enforce the restrictions.Locals said they had been demanding repairs for nearly three years through protests, memoranda and appeals to the administration and elected representatives, but the road remains dotted with potholes and damaged stretches.“Schoolchildren have to be carried across badly damaged stretches, while pedestrians and motorists face accident risks every day. Yet overloaded trucks continue to use the road,” a protester said.The demonstrators said Barkhola MLA Kamalaksha Dey Purkayastha had, during an earlier student-led agitation, assured them that the road would be repaired on priority and that heavy vehicle movement would be regulated. They alleged that neither assurance had been implemented.The protesters stopped one of the trucks and said it would not be allowed to proceed until police reached the spot. They warned of more protests if immediate steps were not taken to repair the road and enforce curbs on overloaded vehicles.The Silchar-Jaintia-Kalain road is an important link connecting Barkhola, Katigorah and other parts of Cachar district with neighbouring Meghalaya. Locals said the poor condition of the road has led to traffic disruptions, longer travel time and frequent protests, especially during the monsoon.They also claimed that several accidents have taken place on the road in recent months, adding to the demand for urgent repairs and stricter checks on overloaded commercial vehicles.
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