SILCHAR, June 9 � People residing under 21 gaon panchayats of the Borkhola constituency of Cachar district have reiterated their demand for a bridge over the Barak river at Madhuraghat to reach Silchar town. At a meeting convened by Sarbangin Manab Kalyan Sanstha, a local NGO, the residents of Chota Dudhpatil Gaon Panchayat said that Silchar town has extended from this area, but with time, the Government and administrative machinery have neglected the development of Dudhpatil and the people living under the gaon panchayats of the constituency. They pointed out that if the bridge is constructed, daily wage earners and vendors can easily travel to the markets in Silchar.
A 21-member convener committee with prominent persons from the Greater Malugram Development Association like Partha Sarathi Chanda, Sanjib Ray, Basudev Sharma, Sudhir Mohan Das, Kishore Bhattacharjee, Jayanta Sikidar, Geeta Pandey and others has been formed to intensify the demand for the bridge.
Addressing the people, Partha Sarathi Chanda said, �We have not come here with political affiliations. The demand for the bridge is legitimate and the movement to sustain the demand must be intensified by involving the local residents.� He added that Dudhpatil is an extension of Silchar town. �The past tells us that this place led to the growth of Silchar and hence, it will not be wise to keep this place and its people out of the development process. This should be made the centre of economic activity for the three Assembly constituencies of Silchar, Borkhola and Udharbondh.
Tanmoy Purakysatha, president of the NGO, expressed his disappointment that the northern, southern and western parts of the town have ushered in development in the recent years. But people living in the eastern end comprising the greater Malugram and Dudhpatil areas are yet to witness any progress. �Our NGO has taken up the mission to convert the 21 gaon panchayats of Borkhola Assembly constituency into model villages for which the bridge at Madhuraghat is the primary requirement. The mission needs united efforts from everyone so that the Government fulfils the demand of constructing the bridge.�
