The Inns and outs of Highways

Mamata Banerjee seems to be taking a page out of Sher Shah Suri's book. Just as Suri had dotted the Sadak-e-azam, popularly known as the Grand Trunk Road now and still considered to be one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads, with caravanserai-s, Mamata plans to have a number ofinns along the highways in the state for travellers, especially women. 

 

Speaking about the project, the state Housing Minister Arup Biswas confirmed to the media, “We are just following Ms. Banerjee’s guideline. The state has never had proper waiting rooms along the highways. Particularly meant for women, this four-in-one project would be equipped with pay and use toilets, a restaurant, rooms for putting up for the night and a specious parking lot.”

 

The inns, or panthashala as they are being called, will be completely funded and constructed by the state Housing Department on land owned by the Public Works Department. 65 locations in 18 districts of the state leaving out the Kolkata district have already been earmarked for the purpose and an initial Rs 40 crore been sanctioned for the project.

 

Each inn will cost the government about Rs 30 lakh. Once the construction is finished, these will be leased out to private players on year long contracts. 

 

Talking to media, secretary of the PWD, Ajit Ranjan Bardhan commented, “Initially we have decided to build such waiting rooms of around 10-12 kattha each on either side of major National and state highways. Later, these primary set-ups will be outsourced through various local business agencies. And this would go on yearly lease-basis.”

 

The sites have been strategically chosen near major tourist spots. The locationsselected are Panagarh-Morgram road and Kalna-Asansol in Burdwan; Ilambazar, Tarapith, Suri, Rampurhat in Birbhum; Arambag, Tarakeshwar, Jayrambati in Hooghly; Kalimpong, Kurseong, Fulbari, Sukhiapokhri, Sukna, Sevoke, Malbazar in the Darjeeling-Jalpaiguri district; Jamaldaha of Coochbehar; Bongaon, Basirhat, Madhyamgram, Ashokenagar of North 24 Parganas and Diamond Harbour, Canning, Baruipur, Poilan of South 24 parganas.

 

Having drawn serious flak for some of her recent actions and governance policies, it is hoped that this project, ambitious though it is in a state as badly cash-strapped as West Bengal, will be salve to Mamata's political image.