Barak Valley’s Infra Drive Gets a Major Boost, Minister Krishnendu Paul and Kaushik Rai Step Up Review

Major road and infrastructure projects across Barak Valley were reviewed at a high-level meeting in Silchar on Wednesday (September 9), with ministers directing officials and executing agencies to remove bottlenecks and ensure time-bound completion of ongoing works.

Minister of Barak Valley Development Department Krishnendu Paul chaired the meeting at the Assam Secretariat Barak Valley, Silchar. Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Housing and Urban Affairs and Cooperation Kaushik Rai also participated in the review.

The meeting covered major projects in Cachar, Sribhumi and Hailakandi, including works under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, Asom Mala and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Among the key projects reviewed were the Silchar-Barapani Express Highway, Silchar town flyovers, roads under Bharatmala and Asom Mala, the Manowar-Panchgram and Silchar-Churaibari road works, the proposed permanent bridge over the Barak River at Gandhighat, and the road connecting Birbal Bazar with Silchar Medical College.

The ministers also reviewed the construction of Sribhumi Medical College, the Silchar District Commissioner’s Office building and road improvement works connecting Silchar Medical College and Assam University.

Paul stressed that better connectivity was essential for the development of Barak Valley and directed officials to complete projects within their stipulated timelines without compromising quality.

With Durga Puja approaching, he gave particular emphasis to road conditions across the valley. Officials were directed to ensure that roads are made suitable for public movement before the festival, when traffic and movement are expected to increase.

Rai stressed better coordination between government departments, field officials and construction agencies. He said implementation-related problems should be identified early and addressed through timely administrative intervention.

During the meeting, officials provided project-wise updates on the physical progress of construction and the difficulties affecting implementation. The ministers directed the concerned agencies to accelerate work and maintain close monitoring.

Paul also warned that negligence in executing development projects would not be accepted. He urged officials to remain personally attentive to projects under their respective jurisdictions and stressed that infrastructure development should ultimately improve public facilities and ease movement for residents.

MLAs Bijoy Malakar, Rajdeep Goala, Amiya Kanti Das, Aminul Haque Laskar, Zubeir Enam Mazumdar and Aminul Rashid Choudhury attended the meeting.

The three district commissioners also participated. Cachar DC Rahul Kumar Gupta, Sribhumi DC Pradip Kumar Dwivedi and Hailakandi DC Joy Bikash briefed the ministers on project progress and implementation-related issues in their respective districts.

Additional Secretary of the Barak Valley Development Department Aditya Bikram Yadav, Commissioner and Special Secretary of the Public Works Department Sanjib Shyam, and NHIDCL Executive Director Nirman Kishan Jambhulkar were among the senior officials present.

Officials from the Power Department, Forest Department and other concerned departments also attended the review.

The meeting concluded with directions for faster execution, closer monitoring, early removal of bottlenecks and adherence to quality standards across major infrastructure projects in Barak Valley.