Public anger spilled onto the streets in West Bengal’s South Dinajpur district on Friday after a road accident, allegedly caused by a long-neglected stretch of road, triggered a protest and blockade in the Thangapara area under Gangarampur block.
According to local residents, the accident occurred on Thursday on the nearly seven-kilometer road connecting Thengapara to Israil, a route that has remained in a severely dilapidated condition for years. Blaming the poor state of the road for the mishap, residents staged a road blockade around 11 a.m. on Friday, bringing traffic to a halt and creating tension in the area.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the district administration of negligence, claiming their inaction led to the road’s deterioration and the subsequent accident.
South Dinajpur BJP president Swarup Chowdhury said he had learned about the accident and alleged that frequent mishaps occur on the road due to the failure of the administration and the TMC to carry out repairs. “In this state, no work happens without protest,” he said, criticizing what he described as a culture of apathy.
The Trinamool Congress, however, rejected the allegations. Party leaders said the road falls under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a centrally sponsored rural road scheme, and argued that repairs have been stalled because funds from the central government have not been released for a long time.
Mrinal Sarkar, a zila parishad member and former district president of the TMC, said he had been informed about the situation and acknowledged that the Thangapara–Israil road has been in poor condition for an extended period. He stated that the lack of funds under the PMGSY has made renovation impossible. He also mentioned the presence of a small culvert along the road, for which the district council has already been notified, expressing hope that repair work would begin soon.
Responding to BJP’s criticism, Mr.Mrinal Sarkar said the opposition should be aware that the road is under a central scheme. He added that the state government is currently carrying out road works under the Pathashree project and through district council initiatives in various areas.
“Only PMGSY roads are affected because the funds are stuck,” he said, urging BJP leaders to raise the issue with their Members of Parliament and seek the release of pending central funds.The blockade underscored growing frustration among residents, who say political blame games have done little to address the unsafe conditions they face daily on the region’s roads.
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