Guwahati gets second bridge after 53 years

Guwahati: After a 53-year wait, second bridge over Brahmaputra in Guwahati, the fourth in Assam, was inaugurated by union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday. He also declared additional 1,253 km road in Assam as National Highways.

Announcing that his ministry would invest Rs 1,500 to develop the road, Mr Gadkari said, “When Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonwoal met me, he demanded to declare 1,253 km of state roads as National Highways. Today I am declaring that those will be developed as National Highways.” Informing that his ministry was also working on developing the waterways, the minister said that he has already sanctioned an investment of Rs 15,000 crore for developing the roads as NHs. “I have ordered to prepare the Detailed Project Report. I hope the CM will initiate land acquisition process soon. As soon as the state government gives us the land and forest clearances, we will start the work,” he said.

Reminding that people have a lot of expectation from the BJP in the state, Mr Gadkari also asked the state ministers to accelerate execution of work in transparent manners.

“My department is following the policy of zero tolerance on corruption and quality of work,” he said adding that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) will spend Rs 8,000 crore over the next two years for developing 143 kilometres of road, including a few bridges over Brahmaputra.

“The work on preparing the DPR for the bridge connecting Mr Sonowal’s constituency Majuli has already started. I have asked the officials to make a light weight and cost-effective bridge there,” he said.

Mr Gadkari said that his ministry has also started work on developing the waterways on Brahmaputra, which is the most cost efficient means of transport. (EOM)