DIBRUGARH, Aug 16 - The five lakh citizens here have all deeply condoled the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was officially declared dead. Dibrugarh�s citizens all remember how he as Prime Minister, ensured that the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge will be a facility with two broad gauge rail tracks.
Prior to his announcement on April 17, 2002 at the historic Chowkidinghee grounds here, the Bogibeel bridge was designed to be a rail cum road bridge with a single track railway.
It was The Assam Tribune that carried the exclusive story on a conspiracy to have a truncated bridge at Bogibeel. The news item, published days before a public rally to mark the commencement of work on the bridge, was taken note of by Vajpayee and the then Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, and he announced that the bridge will have twin railway tracks. He had even wanted the bridge to be commissioned by 2007. Unfortunately, the bridge could not be made ready for traffic in his lifetime, till today. The then Railway Board chairman, MMS Rana, did say they would try to commission the bridge in time, but that did not happen.
The Dibrugarh Nagarik Sangha, which has been demanding the Bogibeel bridge since its formation in 1962, today mourned the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at a special condolence meeting this evening, informs the Sangha�s secretary, Ron Duarah. The emergency meeting was presided over by the Sangha�s working president, Jogendra Nath Borah. Members of the Sangha stood in silence for a minute as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
