The Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the union ministry of road transport and highways to instal street lights along a one-kilometre stretch of national highway 12 (formerly NH-34) passing through Malda Industrial Park Phases I and II under Malda police station.
In a letter addressed to the union minister, Chamber president Ujjal Saha highlighted the urgent need for illumination in the industrial zone, where heavy vehicle movement and worker commutes continue round the clock. He noted that the absence of street lighting between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. has led to several accidents, posing risks to workers, transporters, and the local population.
“The state government’s industrial park in Malda remains active 24 hours a day, with loaded and empty trucks, factory workers, and employees frequently plying the stretch. But after sunset, the area plunges into darkness, causing repeated accidents and creating hurdles for existing and prospective entrepreneurs,” Mr Saha wrote.
He further stressed that the lack of proper lighting has discouraged new investors and MSME units from setting up in the industrial park despite its strategic location.
Mr Saha requested that the ministry issue necessary directions to the project director of NHAI’s Malda Project Implementation Unit to ensure immediate installation of street lights “on the lines of other industrial parks across the country,” thereby improving safety, promoting ease of doing business, and encouraging industrial expansion in the region.