HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 8: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday performed the ‘bhumi pujan’ of the Palashbari-Sualkuchi bridge over the Brahmaputra river, said an official statement.
Sarma noted the subsequent actions taken, including the development of the project report, tendering processes, and land acquisitions, which culminated in today’s Bhumi Pujan.
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“The bridge, spanning a total length of 3.6 kilometers, is expected to be completed by June 2028. It would feature a 5.3-kilometer four-lane road connecting Palashbari and a 2-kilometer route to Sualkuchi, alongside elevated roads to protect the wetlands north of Sualkuchi,” the statement quoted Sarma as saying.
The chief minister also posted that this bridge would catalyse a transformative shift in connectivity between the northern and southern banks of the Brahmaputra, easing access to prominent locations such as Gauhati University, Tura in Meghalaya, and Goalpara.
Later, he reiterated that government initiatives, previously impeded by logistical challenges in areas like Hajo, Ramdia, and Sualkuchi could now be implemented.
Sarma also noted the imminent construction of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Palashbari, which would improve communication for students in North Assam once the bridge is completed.
Reflecting on the progress made since Prime Minister Modi took office in 2014, Sarma highlighted the significance of the Dhola-Sadiya and Bogibeel bridges.
“The ongoing construction of a bridge connecting Jorhat and Majuli, along with plans to initiate a major tunnel road project between Gohpur and Golaghat next year, with an investment of 12,000 crore rupees,” he said.
Furthermore, he announced plans for a 32-kilometer elevated corridor aimed at protecting Kaziranga’s wildlife during floods, with an estimated cost of 8,000 crores.
He stated that construction on the Palashbari-Sualkuchi bridge would start in full swing immediately, alongside the rapid progress of the Phulbari bridge, adding, “Plans for the proposed construction/on-going construction of six new bridges in Barak Valley”.
Sarma anticipated that with land constraints no longer an obstacle, projects that had languished near Guwahati could now progress in Hajo, Barkhetry, Palashbari, Boko, and Chaygaon.
“This Palashbari-Sualkuchi bridge marks a significant leap in the government’s initiative toward social development, which the chief minister characterised as a collective achievement,” the statement said.
Union minister Pabitra Margherita, minister for Environment & Forests Chandra Mohan Patowary, MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, and MLAs Diganta Kalita, Hemanga Thakuria, Nandita Das, special commissioner & special secretary of Public Works (Roads) Department Chandan Sarma, Kamrup district commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra, and other dignitaries.
