HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 7: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday asserted that the Barak Valley has witnessed “unprecedented development” over the past five years, particularly in the area of connectivity, as he laid the foundation stone for a major bridge project over the Barak River at Madhuraghat in Silchar.
On the second day of his two-day visit to the region, the chief minister launched the construction of a 340-metre RCC bridge connecting Madhuramukh with Silchar city through Gandhighat.
The project, taken up under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for 2025–26 at a cost of over ₹79 crore, includes approach roads and safety components.
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Once completed, the bridge will shorten travel between Itkhola and Dudhpatil by around 8 km, easing the movement of people and goods and reducing fuel expenditure and essential commodity prices.
Calling the project a fulfilment of a long-standing public demand, Sarma assured that the bridge would be completed within two years.
He emphasised that the Barak region has seen transformative progress in connectivity, citing the completion of major bridges such as Annapurna Setu, Badri Setu and Sonai Setu.
The Silghat bridge is nearly 50 per cent complete, while another bridge at Karatigram is expected to be ready by October next year, he said.
Highlighting a series of ongoing infrastructure upgrades, the chief minister noted that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation is constructing several bridges over the Barak at Katakhal, Sialtek, Gauri Setu, Sonabari Ghat and other locations.
He said these projects collectively symbolise a scale of development that the valley “had never witnessed before.”
Sarma added that approval for the proposed Dolu airport is likely soon.
He also confirmed that the elevated corridor project for Silchar city—estimated at around ₹564 crore—has been approved.
Terming the current phase as a “golden period” for the Barak Valley, he said the government remains committed to sustaining the region’s rapid infrastructure expansion with continued public cooperation.
Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister Kaushik Roy, MP Parimal Suklabaidya, MLAs Mihir Kanti Shome, Dipayan Chakraborty, Nihar Ranjan Das and Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, along with senior PWD officials and district authorities, were present at the ceremony.
