The showpiece stretch lies in a shambles. The sunshine sector wants Rajarhat Expressway repaired immediately. A Telegraph picture

Rajarhat Expressway, the precious plume in Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s urban development cap, has now become a symbol of shame.

With the 11-km hallowed highway connecting the airport and Salt Lake in a mess, the murmurs gave way to an outburst on Wednesday.

“We shudder at the thought of bringing clients down that pothole-ridden road. Not only does it completely spoil the first impression of the city but it has also become dangerous for vehicles to ply at night,” said Siddhartha Mukherjee, vice president, Cognizant Technology Solutions, at the valedictory session of IT East.

The meet, a major event in the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) annual roster, draws participants from IT and ITES companies across India. Slamming of the showpiece stretch, which the chief minister inaugurated in May 2004, at such a high-profile meet is a blow to brand Bengal.

“If not addressed urgently, this could prove to be the proverbial clog in the wheel,” said Indranil Choudhury, vice-president of Genapct.

The problem with the once zip, zap, zoom stretch is not new. Hidco, the agency responsible for maintenance of the road, had undertaken sporadic and piecemeal repairs.

But the patchwork did not address the real problem of the cratered stretch, where the road surface was laid before the soil could settle.

“We are aware of the problem. The chief minister has intervened and a fresh work order has been given to Bridge & Roof. They are waiting for a dry spell to start work,” said S. A. Ahmed, chairman, Nabadiganta Industrial Township, the civic body in charge of the state’s IT hub.

But the sunrise sector wants immediate action. “By next year, things have to change for good or else we would face serious problems,” warned D.K. Choudhury, CEO, Skytech Solutions and chairman of the Salt Lake-Rajarhat committee.