Dhola-Sadiya bridge: Longest bridge to fill economic gap, says Modi

Modi asserted that NE will mean new economy, new energy and new empowerment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the country’s longest bridge over the Lohit river in Assam on the third anniversary of his government and said the NDA dispensation was working to make the Northeast region a trade hub for southeast Asia. 

Later, he launched Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing (SAMPADA) to promote food processing and promised to make the North-East the economic hub of “new India”. “There are immense possibilities for agro-product valuation and the Rs 6,000-crore SAMPADA will go a long way in developing the food processing industry and creating employment opportunities for the youth,” he said after laying the foundation stone of the Indian Agriculture Research Institute at Gogamukh in Dhemaji district.

“Initially, there will be an investment of Rs 6,000 crore and later, we will go in for public-private partnership which will include foreign direct investment.” The central government will work “shoulder to shoulder” with the state government to usher in development, he promised.

Modi urged the youth of the North-East to take advantage of this scheme, saying the region will be the “new engine for new India and the term NE will mean new economy, new energy and new empowerment”.

This will be achieved by following the ‘pancha path’ (five paths) with “the focus being on infrastructure development like highway, railway, waterway, airway and I(information)-way”.

He expressed hope that the North-East can emerge as a global hub of organic farming as there are huge possibilities in the region.

Arriving in Guwahati, Modi laid the foundation stone of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Guwahati to be set up at Changsari in Assam’s Kamrup district, at the Sarusajai Stadium this evening. The institute will be constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana at an estimated cost of Rs 1,123 crore.

Later, he said the demonetisation drive was a “tough decision” to take in view of the opposition parties’ constant efforts to turn people against it. In the end, however, the people stood by the decision of his government, he told a rally in Guwahati on the occasion of the BJP-led NDA government’s completion of three years in office. “Demonetisation was a tough decision. Political leaders tried to create anger and provoke people,” Modi said, adding, “Demonetisation has brought nine lakh (900,000) people into the tax net.”

In the morning, while dedicating to the nation the 9.15-km long bridge, named after Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and legendary lyricist-singer Bhupen Hazarika who hailed from Sadiya, he said it would serve as the foundation for a new economic revolution and help India in its efforts to become a superpower.

Speaking on the Act East Policy, the PM said he wanted the Northeast to become a trade hub for southeast Asia by connecting the area for economic activity. “For this, we are laying stress on development of infrastructure and making the Northeast a tourism centre. Lakhs of tourists would also come to Kamakhya temple and improve the economy,” he said. “Electricity, roads, rail infrastructure and optical fibre network in the northeast will connect every corner of the region with the country.” 

“The bridge will not only save money and reduce travel time but comes as a foundation for the beginning of a new economic revolution….. The reduction of distance by 165 km and cutting travel time by seven-eight hours will open new doors for economic development... The bridge will bring development to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.

The PM said the government was striving for long-lasting development by creating permanent infrastructure.

The bridge would open a new road for the high-quality ginger grown by farmers of the region and improve their economic condition. If the farmers take up organic ginger farming, a global market would open up for them, he said.

Greeting the people in Assamese at Sadiya, Modi asked them to switch on the torches of their mobiles to “show to the nation that you are celebrating the occasion”.

Amidst cheers by the gathering, Modi said he considered himself fortunate to be here as Gujarat, where Dwarikanath is from, is his birthplace, and Sadiya, which was known as Kundil Nagar, was where Lord Krishna had come.

He recalled the role played by the former MLA Jagadish Bhuyan in the construction of the bridge as it was he who wrote to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on May 29, 2003.

“The government changed in the middle and your dreams got paused. If work had continued then you would have had the bridge 10 years ago. In the last three years efforts started to complete Vajpayee’s work,” Modi said.

He said Assam Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal in the first one year of his government was trying to bring the state out of the condition it was in when he took over the reins.

Before the bridge was constructed people had to depend on ferry boats to cross the Lohit river.

“Now, the bridge will be open 365 days 24X7 for movement of traffic. We are giving stress on development of roads, bridges, rails, air and waterways which are environment- friendly and economical. New waterways will start from here,” the prime minister said.

The bridge built at a cost of Rs 2,056 crore is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli Sea link. The length of the bridge, including viaducts, is 9.15 km with a 7.3 km approach road from the Dhola side and a 12.5-km from Sadia side.

The carriageway width is three lanes (10.5 metre).

With importance accorded to quick movement of military troops and artillery, the bridge has been designed to allow movement of tanks, official sources said.

The bridge is an engineering marvel and is capable of withstanding the weight of a 60 tonne battle tank, a release by Dalmia Cement, which supplied the construction material, said in Guwahati.

The company supplied 17,000 tonnes of cement for the bridge which connects Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, said a release from the cement company.

Steel Authority of India Limited was the largest and main supplier of steel for constructing the bridge. It supplied around 90 per cent or around 30,000 tonnes of steel, including TMT bars for it, an official release said.