Itanagar, Aug 7 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Deputy Speaker Kardo Nyigyor on Friday appealed to student organisations to call off their proposed agitation over the poor condition of a strategic highway connecting the central and northern districts of the state, saying the process to upgrade the road is underway.
Addressing reporters here, Nyigyor said the state and central governments had initiated administrative steps to improve the road. On August 4, the Jigo Yego Students’ Union and the Basar Area Students’ Union, under a Joint Action Committee, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the state government to restore and repair the highway.
The organisations also urged the government to coordinate with the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), warning of democratic agitation if no action was taken.
Nyigyor, who represents Likabali assembly constituency, said administrative procedures to upgrade the road are progressing following high-level interventions at both the state and central levels.
Frequent landslides during the recent monsoon months have repeatedly blocked key stretches, severely disrupting the movement of civilians, military convoys, and essential services.
Due to the dilapidated condition of the road, commuters and transport operators from Leparada, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, Shi-Yomi, and parts of Siang districts are currently forced to take a lengthy detour via the Pasighat-Pangin-Aalo route.
Originally built under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North East (SARDP-NE), responsibility for the stretch temporarily reverted to the state government after the central scheme lapsed.
Following joint representations by regional MLAs to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) officially designated it as a national strategic highway in July 2026.
Clarifying execution arrangements, the deputy speaker said while the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) initially assigned the project to NHIDCL, state leaders have formally requested a transfer of execution rights to the BRO.
Nyigyor highlighted that the BRO is better positioned to handle immediate maintenance along the landslide-prone terrain due to its network of established labour camps and personnel stationed at key locations including Likabali, Siji, Garu, Dali, Bam, and Aalo.
Unlike private contractor models under NHIDCL, BRO teams can clear blockages and maintain roadside drainage immediately during heavy rainfall.
Referring to strike ultimatums issued by the student bodies, Nyigyor urged them to allow standard government processes to proceed.
He said that agency finalisation and survey work for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) are expected to take shape between mid-August and September.
