Staff Reporter. TOD. Balurghat 


Hopes are rising for the long-delayed expansion of National Highway 512, widely regarded as a lifeline for West Bengal’s South Dinajpur district, after a senior federal minister signaled renewed momentum for the project.

Speaking to reporters in Balurghat on Monday afternoon, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, the member of Parliament from Balurghat and a Union minister, said efforts to accelerate the highway expansion had begun following the formation of a new government in the state.

Dr. Majumdar blamed delays under the previous administration, alleging that bureaucratic inertia and disputes over the road’s alignment had caused hundreds of crores of rupees allocated by the central government to be returned unused.“The funds had to be sent back because of complications surrounding the alignment during the previous government,” he said. “The new state government will decide whether the highway will follow the existing route or whether a new alignment will be created. We hope the current administration resolves the matter swiftly.”

The minister also said he had held preliminary discussions regarding the project and its proposed alignment with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.For years, deteriorating conditions along National Highway 512 have disrupted daily life in the region, burdening residents, commuters and businesses alike. With promises of renewed coordination between state and federal authorities, many local residents now say they are cautiously optimistic that long-awaited construction work may soon begin.