Potholes in India can be seen on many roads leading to minor and major accidents on a frequent basis, but have you ever heard of poll-size potholes that to on a National Highway? If not, let us take you through National Highway 227 in Bihar's Madhubani district that has around 150 pool-size potholes in a stretch of over 20 km from the Kaluahi village to Umgaon crossing at Basopatti block in the district.
Despite having a double-engine government in Bihar, such abysmal state of roads raises serious questions on claims of a good road network in the state by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. An aerial video of the national highway has gone viral on social media.
Even political strategist Prashant Kishor took to Twitter and share the video shot by Praveen Thakur of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper and reminded CM Nitish Kumar of the "jungle raj of the 1990s". "Nitish ji had recently told officials of road construction department that they must tell the people about the condition of roads in the state", Kishor tweeted.
"Jungle raj of 1990s" was a reference to the husband-wife duo Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi who together ruled Bihar for 15 years until the defeat of their RJD by the NDA headed by Kumar in 2005.
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Kishor, who is touring the state as a spade-work for a full-time launch into politics, had helped Lalu-Nitish alliance clinch a victory in the 2015 assembly polls and formally joined the JD(U), then headed by Kumar.
A local residents told news agency IANS that the road was in good condition in early 1990, but the condition deteriorated in the last 20 years to such an extent that now it is full of with potholes.
As the road is situated close to the Nepal border, heavy trucks regularly ply on it leading to further deterioration. "Small ponds appear on the road during the monsoon season that give one an experience of travelling through a jungle," another resident said.
The local MLA claimed that the issue has been raised thrice in Bihar Vidhan Sabha, but the road construction department has not taken cognizance of the matter. Meanwhile contractor of this road said that department has allotted the tender to me, but has not released the fund. It is also to be noted that the Road Construction Minister of Bihar comes under the BJP quota in Nitish Kumar government.