SILCHAR, April 13 - Over 5000 people under the banner of Silchar Madhuraghat Barak Bridge Demand Committee took to the streets on Wednesday demanding a double-lane RCC bridge with footpath on both the sides over river Barak at Madhuraghat Dudhpatil in Cachar district.
The protest, which went on for more than three hours, put normal life into a standstill at the Office Enclave and Club Road area. Protesters from seven gaon panchayats under Borkhola constituency along with school students voiced their demand for the bridge. A memorandum was also sent to the Chief Minister through the Cachar Deputy Commissioner.
Meanwhile, sensing a huge turnout of people, the Cachar district administration and Cachar Police were seen on an alert to combat the situation. Police troops from Malugram, Rangirkhari, Silchar Sadar, Tarapur Police outpost, National Highway patrol post at Shalchapra and Srikona police out post were deployed at the Office Enclave to control the irate crowd during the protest.
Expressing solidarity with the protesters, former Congress MLA from Borkhola Dr Rumi Nath used scathing remarks against her present BJP counterpart Kishore Nath saying the present MLA is a �paper tiger� who knows only how to scream sans any visible performance.
Throwing a challenge at Kishore, the former MLA said that she would salute him if he strives to fulfil the long-pending demands of the people. Kishore Bhattacharjee, president of the demand committee made it clear that they would give their best to see that the bridge is completed.
