Bridge across B'putra gets nod

GUWAHATI, March 12: Has Dispur found true north? Be that as the answer may, State Fince Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma let the State Assembly know on Monday that the expansion of Guwahati towards the north is going to be a reality. 

Presenting the annual Budget for fiscal 2018-19 in the Assembly, Sarma said: “I’m happy to announce that the Steering Committee of the Ministry of Fince, Government of India has recently approved our project proposal to construct another bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Panbazar with North Guwahati. The proposed cost of this project will be Rs.1890 crore, and will be funded by the New Development Bank (NDB) with an implementation period of four years.”

Sarma said that in his last Budget he had earmarked Rs.100 crore to carry out advance action of land acquisition, obtaining of relevant clearances/no-objections from the agencies concerned etc. “This year, we are allocating an additiol Rs.150 crore to carry out the rest of the preparatory works so that the construction activities can be started this year itself,” Sarma said, and added: “With this, the expansion of Guwahati city towards the north will become a reality.”