Digboi: The much-hyped Assam Mala project, launched in the name of development and better road connectivity, has turned into a nightmare for the people of upper Assam. Instead of progress, the road from Digboi to Mohong via Pengaree–Bordumsa has been marred by irregularities, substandard work, and shocking negligence — costing lives and destroying families.
Barely days after Kakopathar’s Dibrujan Mahant was crushed to death by a grader engaged in the project, another tragedy has struck.
On September 14, 19-year-old Daulat Phukan of Pengaree fell from a scooter and crashed into the exposed structure of an under-construction culvert at Bapapung. There were no barricades, no warning signs, and no protective measures at the site. What should have been a routine ride turned into a life-threatening disaster because of the sheer indifference of those responsible.
The injured youth was first rushed to Digboi CHC and later shifted to Tinsukia Medical College. As his condition deteriorated, doctors referred him to Dibrugarh Assam Medical College, where an emergency brain surgery was performed on September 15. But even after the operation, Daulat remains in a coma, his condition critical.
The tragedy does not end at the hospital.
His impoverished parents, desperate to save their son, are now preparing to sell their only plot of land in search of customers to raise money for his treatment. Their repeated pleas for help from the construction company went unanswered.
“We begged them for assistance, but no one came forward. Now we are left with no choice but to sell our land,” the family said, their pain echoing across Pengaree .
Local organizations have erupted in anger. Former AJYCP leader Jatin Bora accused the company of criminal negligence and of abandoning the victim’s family at a time of dire need. Subhash Tamang, president of the Gorkha Students Union Pengaree Anchalik Committee, demanded that Purvanchal Building Private Limited — the company executing the project — be blacklisted immediately.
A ground survey by Digboi mediapersons has only confirmed people’s worst fears. Reporters found that no safety measures existed at the accident site on the day of the incident. Shockingly, nearby shopkeepers revealed that barricades were hastily put up two days after the accident, in what many see as a shameless attempt to cover up responsibility rather than prevent further mishaps.
Worse still, the company has shown little remorse. Speaking to Ne Now, a representative casually dismissed the matter, saying: “Since no FIR has been lodged with the local police station nor the site engineer is updated about the incident, there is nothing to do in my part.” This indifferent remark has fuelled widespread outrage, exposing how little accountability exists in a project that has already claimed one life and left another hanging by a thread.
The Assam Mala project, which should have been a beacon of development, is instead being seen as a death trap.
With two accidents in quick succession, locals fear more lives could be lost if safety and quality are ignored. The burning question is: Will the government act against those responsible, or will negligence and apathy continue to claim innocent lives under the banner of progress?