Tripura Prioritizes Development of Kamalpur-Santirbazar Road as National Highway: Official.

The Tripura government is prioritizing the development of the Kamalpur-Santirbazar road as a national highway, an official confirmed recently. At present, the state has six national highways covering a total of 923.31 km, with the Centre having agreed 'in principle' to develop four more in the northeastern state.

Chief Engineer of National Highways, P. Jamatia, explained that while the Centre has approved the in-principle development of four highways, Tripura is focusing on the 148 km stretch from Kamalpur to Santirbazar to secure national highway status. He emphasized the importance of the project for the socio-economic upliftment of tribal communities across Dhalai, Gomati, and South Tripura.

Once developed, the road will shorten the journey from Ambassa in Dhalai district to Sabroom in South Tripura from 300 km to 200 km. Additionally, the route will pass through significant tourist destinations such as Dumbur, Narikel Kunja, and Chhabimura, further boosting the region's tourism potential. Chhabimura is renowned for its ancient rock carvings along the Gomati River, while Dumbur is known for its picturesque waterbody.

The development of Sabroom, near the Bangladesh border, has already been supported by the Centre with the construction of Maitri Setu, an integrated check post, and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), positioning the area as a gateway to Southeast Asia. The distance from Sabroom to Bangladesh's Chittagong port is approximately 70 km.

Jamatia added that the estimated cost for the Kamalpur-Santirbazar project is ₹2,000 crore. Once the Centre approves the proposal, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be completed within six months, paving the way for the road's development as a national highway.

ET