Briege over Mahananda likely to be inaugurated before monsoon

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 8: A bridge over the Mahananda river was under construction at Aashapur under the Chanchal sub-division in 1999, but the administration could not complete it owing to fund crunch and other technical difficulties. The administrative officials hope that they would able to inaugurate it before this year’s monsoon season after the completion of its approach road on the Malda part. The idea of the bridge at Aashapur was conceived before 1999 for better communication of the people of northern part of Malda, connecting North Dinajpur with Chanchal. The PWD had completed the construction of the bridge phase by phase in 1999, but they were not in a position to build the approach road on both sides. At present, the approach road on the side of North Dinajpur has been completed. Now the Malda administration has planned to finish its approach road soon. It was not decided as to who would build the approach road. Though the Malda zilla parishad was approached to finish the incomplete work, the PWD took over the job finally. The sub-divisional officer of Chanchal, Mr Debashis Sarkar said: “The construction of the approach road was delayed due to fund crunch and problem of land acquisition and other difficulties. We have sorted out the land acquisition problem and the Chanchal I panchayat samiti has made the road by filling earth under NREGS last year to overcome the shortage of money." “The PWD would black top the ready approach road which was built by the Panchayat samiti. The PWD engineers will work here with financial assistance from the Uttar Banga Unnayan Parishad,” said Mr Sarkar. Mr Sarkar confidently said that they would be able to inaugurate the bridge before monsoon this year if things go the right way.