Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday flagged the "poor quality" of NH-37 between Jorhat and Dibrugarh in Assam, while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari assured him of action to improve it.
During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi referred to a viral video of Nitin Gadkari showing him in a car on a highway and alleged that Assam does not have highways as good as the one in the video.
Gogoi asked, "A video went viral on social media, which showed your car speeding on the highway. We got jealous in Assam, as there are toll gates, and we cannot drive at 100-130 kmph as the quality (of roads) is so poor. People of Assam are paying tolls but not receiving highways of good quality like in your videos. Especially from Jorhat to Dibrugarh, NH-37 is in a bad state. The Jhanji part after your intervention is better now, but after that (roads) are bad."
In response, the Union Minister acknowledged that the highway was damaged due to heavy rainfall.
"What the MP said is right. The road was damaged after the rainfall. An enquiry was also conducted, and things were rectified. I believe the road will be fine," Gadkari told the House.
The proceedings of the Lok Sabha today began with sloganeering by the Opposition MPs protesting against the air pollution in North India.
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to move the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, for consideration and passing in the Lower House today.
The Bill aims to augment resources for meeting expenditure on national security and public health, and to levy a cess for the said purposes on machines installed and other processes undertaken for the manufacture or production of specified goods, and for matters connected therewith.
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