Guwahati: Union Minister of Ports and Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday visited the project sites at Bogibeel in Assam’s Dibrugarh district to review the progress of jetties. The Union Minister directed the authorities to ensure quality in the construction of the projects, which are likely to fasten the cargo movement via the Brahmaputra River onto the global trade ways.
Expressing his satisfaction over the progress of the project, Union Minister Sonowal said, “Dibrugarh has always been a major trade hub in the northeastern region of India. Given its commercial importance and as the nerve centre of the region, the Narendra Modi-led government is committed to regaining its past glory. Waterways play an important role in the economic and commercial prospects.”
The Minister said that the Bogibeel project remained neglected and for a long time, the immense potential of the Brahmaputra river was ignored, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s office stated in a press release.
“We all know how the construction of the Bogibeel bridge gained pace after Prime Minister Modi took charge. Similarly, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the waterways of India are being re-energised to propel growth and usher in a new era of development. The jetties at Dibrugarh’s Bogibeel and Guijan in Tinsukia district are being constructed with a view to providing an efficient mode of transportation for the trade interests of the region. I believe that the marine jetty at Bogibeel will be inaugurated this new year, unlocking huge possibilities for the people of the region,” Minister Sonowal said.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for waterways development in the country under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, is undertaking multiple projects in Assam, aimed at the development of the national waterways in the region. IWAI is presently working on multiple projects with an investment of more than Rs 850 crore in Assam, the release stated.
On the additional infrastructure around Bogibeel, the Union Minister said, “Bogibeel is placed at a strategically advantageous position. We are committed to further investing at Bogibeel to build additional infrastructure like administrative offices, customs clearance offices, among others. This will turn Bogibeel into a value-added proposition. We are committed to making Bogibeel as a major trade hub with multi-modal connectivity via railways, roads, and waterways, providing a major boost to the economic proposition of the region.”
The projects are being developed with technical assistance from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, and IIT, Guwahati. The project at Bogibeel is being executed by the Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL), the release added.
The release further said that the Union Minister has directed the officials to complete the seven floating jetties at Jogighopa in Assam’s Bongaigaon district, Tezpur in Sonitpur district, Biswanath in Biswanath district, Nimati in Jorhat district, Bindhakata in Dibrugarh district, Oiramghat in Dhemaji district and Sadiya in Tinsukia district. The recent spurt in cargo and tourist jetties will be maintained with this initiative.
The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.
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