RANCHI: In an unusual move by Congress, MLA Dipika Pandey Singh took to the streets and mud bathed in the road to draw the government’s attention to the bad condition of the part of NH 133 passing through her Assembly constituency Mahagama.
Godda MP Nishikant Dubey however, hit back saying that she is holding a demonstration against her own government headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren as this is a national highway and maintenance work is done by the state road construction department.
Dipika Pandey walked through the stretch and started a sit-in demonstration in the pothole created on NH 133 and even took a dip into the muddy water and refused to come out of it till her demands were met.
Singh claimed she had been demanding that repair be undertaken of the stretch of the highway for long, but the assembly committee officials did not visit the spot.
"This is a matter of understanding. I don’t want to get involved in the tussle between the central and state government, but as we all know that this NH 133 and the NHAI had taken the responsibility to widen it in May 2022. The centre does not provide funds to the State for its maintenance, in such circumstances, looking at the state of this road, I would like to request our Chief Minister to get it done as people are suffering a lot,” said the MLA. If the public representatives themselves will come here then only they would know the sufferings of the people, she added, targeting Godda MP Nishikant Dubey.
In response, Dubey took to Twitter saying, “The Congress MLA from Mahagama is sitting on a dharna against Chief Minister Hemant Soren. This highway is maintained by the Road Construction Department and the Centre has already allocated Rs 75 crore six months back for it.”
Singh, in return, slammed Dubey saying that "in spite of looking for a solution to the problem, as per his habit, he is involving himself in allegations and counter allegations."
“It's a blatant lie what Dubey is saying; the Centre has not allocated any money,” Dipika Pandey Singh took to Twitter.