Barak undergoing facelift, courtesy mami Barak

From Our Special Correspondent

Silchar, Nov 14: It is not election time to go for high sounding promises by leaders to people in order to sail through the turbulent waters of electoral battle. After the mami Brahmaputra river festival, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal spoke of arranging similar festival in Barak Valley in the me of ‘mami Barak’. The objective behind it has been to remove the impression created during the long Congress regime that Barak Valley remains neglected and discrimited. The new government after coming to power has been making all out efforts to develop the communication system and build up necessary infrastructure.

 While giving a brief to the media-persons about the proposed mami Barak, higher officials from Dispur made it clear the objective is to ‘showcase the culture, tradition and other potential features of the region and at the same time initiate concrete measures for its economic development’. That the promises are not hoax and also not offering lollipops like the Congress is quite apparent with the steps for development taken up on the ground level. Parimal Suklabaidya, Minister of PWD, Excise and Fisheries, who had been blaming rain god for all the mess, looked hell bent to press into operation the PWD engineers, staff and machines for improving the important roads and highways on war-footing.

 Suklabaidya said the Centre has sanctioned Rs.900 crore for completion of the remaining part of Silchar-Saurashtra Highway (East-West Corridor) and the contractors have already responded to the tenders floated. Work will start soon. Flyover for Silchar to ease the traffic congestion, as the Minister pointed out, has been surveyed by a Delhi based company and after it submits DPR, construction work will begin. Reports from the rural areas say after long wait of years, work has been taken up to improve the network of roads.

 Along with surface connectivity, the focus is now on developing the Barak waterways for smooth vigation through Bangladesh, a revival of the British system, in order to boost up the economy of the region. Of significance is the raising of India Gate which the Chief Minister will iugurate to bring forth before the public various exhibits. The India Gate will also be a gateway to the ASEAN countries on which the Centre as a part of its Act East Policy is laying emphasis. Move is also on to build an aqua sanctuary to protect and preserve the endangered river dolphin and also for the preservation of other creatures.

 Stress is also on to explore the potentiality and resources of Barak river as the administration does not want to turn the festival a ‘symbolic affair’. The mascot dolphin is significant and has many an implication, pointed out And Prakash Tiwari, CEO of the festival. He added to say that the potentiality of Barak Valley in many ares would be explored. Tourism has great prospect and the possibility of creating a tourist circuit is very much on the anvil. An important development is in respect of the protective measures taken up to save the NH 54 near Panchgram from heavy erosions of Barak by adopting foolproof stone caging system. This will also save the nearby villages facing threat of erosion.

Massive preparations are going on at the three main venues of the grand event at Jahajghat of Karimganj, Panchgram in Hailakandi and police parade ground of Silchar. The infrastructure being built on the river fronts will give a new edge to the look of the three towns. The festival will not just end in show casing the various facets of this region while paying tributes to Barak, it will go beyond that to explore the possibility of rejuveting the trade and commerce with particular emphasis on the cultivation of coffee and jute. Besides, the revival of sick industrial units as well as opening of new ones with local potentiality will also be explored, pointed out the CEO of mami Barak.