Construction of a Bridge Over Barak River connecting Ganirgram and Rajnagar Urged by Former MLA Amar Chand Jain and locals

The long-standing demand for the construction of a bridge over river Barak between Ganirgram and Rajnagar took center stage at a large meeting held at the Rajnagar ferry ghat on Sunday. The meeting, which was part of ongoing efforts to secure a bridge for the region, saw strong support from prominent leaders, including former MLA from Katigora, Amar Chand Jain.

Addressing the gathering, Jain emphasized the necessity of the bridge for the welfare of local residents, particularly students. He highlighted the importance of a proper bridge for facilitating easier access to education and improving the socio-economic conditions of the surrounding areas.

Since before India’s independence, ferry services have been the only mode of transportation connecting the areas of Ganirgram and Rajnagar. Over the years, thousands of people from nearly 50 villages in the Katigora and Barakhola assembly constituencies have relied on ferries to reach Silchar. This includes students traveling for higher education, workers, and traders. Despite the constant need, the region has remained reliant on ferries, with no bridge infrastructure in place.

The “Ganirgram-Rajnagar Barak Bridge Demand Committee” has been actively campaigning for months, organizing protests and meeting with government officials, including ministers, MPs, and MLAs, to draw attention to the issue. Their efforts culminated in the meeting on Sunday, which was organized under the leadership of committee president Farid Uddin Choudhury.

During the meeting, Amar Chand Jain expressed full support for the demand for a bridge and its potential to transform the lives of local students. He pointed out that many students from villages such as Ganirgram, Buribail, Sanzurai, Mahadebpur, Shantipur, Dudhpur, Fulbari, and Sripur are forced to travel to Silchar for higher education due to the lack of educational institutions in their own areas. A bridge would significantly ease their commute, making higher education more accessible and fostering a revolutionary change in the education sector.

Furthermore, Jain stressed that the bridge would lead to broader socio-economic development, including better access to healthcare, markets, and employment opportunities, thereby uplifting the entire region.

The meeting was attended by several local leaders, including Konkon Narayan Sikidar, a representative of Cachar BJP President Bimalendu Roy, as well as Joyprakash Sinha, Sunil Chandra Deb, Iqbal Hossain Majumdar, Haidar Hossain Laskar, Sunil Sinha, Mustafa Barbhuiya, Nabendu Das, Ruhul Ahmed Reza, and Monmohan Nath, among others.

The gathering was also addressed by the committee’s general secretary, Hiralal Rajkumar, who explained the committee’s ongoing efforts and detailed its activities. Executive Member Zulfiqar Ahmad Boralaskar spoke about the significant work done so far by the demand committee, which has already submitted memorandums to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways.

To strengthen their cause, the committee has also approached local MPs, including Silchar’s MP and current Minister Kaushik Rai, Misbahul Islam Laskar, Khalil Uddin Majumdar.

In an effort to make the case for the bridge even more compelling, former NIT student Pranjal Nath is preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the connectivity and potential impact of the bridge. This will be presented to the government for a clearer understanding of the project’s importance and feasibility.