Guwahati, Sep 13 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said his government was making connectivity the foundation of the state’s next phase of growth, asserting that improved road and rail infrastructure was essential to ensure the benefits of development reached people.
CM Sarma made the remarks after dedicating a Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Cinnamara in Jorhat, which he said would ease traffic congestion at a major choke point in the historic town and form part of the state’s wider effort to make railway crossings traffic-free.
“People often ask me why Assam is obsessively building bridges in its cities, towns and villages. It’s because for decades we lagged behind in connectivity and fruits of development could not reach the people,” CM Sarma said in a post on X.
The Chief Minister said the state was “duty-bound” to reverse the connectivity deficit and ensure that unhindered movement became the norm rather than an exception.
He said the Cinnamara ROB was part of the government’s statewide efforts to eliminate congestion and delays caused by railway crossings.
The infrastructure project is expected to improve traffic movement in Cinnamara and provide commuters with a smoother route across the railway line. Such projects are also aimed at reducing waiting time for motorists and pedestrians at railway level crossings, particularly in busy urban and semi-urban areas.
CM Sarma said that the connectivity was not merely an infrastructure priority but a critical requirement for Assam’s economic and social development. Improved connectivity can facilitate the movement of people, agricultural produce and goods while providing businesses and industries with better access to markets.
It can also help connect communities to educational institutions, healthcare facilities and employment opportunities.
The Chief Minister has repeatedly stressed infrastructure development as a key component of Assam’s broader growth strategy, with road, bridge and railway-related projects being taken up across the state.
The Cinnamara ROB is significant for Jorhat, a major urban centre in Upper Assam, where growing traffic volumes have increased the need for improved transport infrastructure.
CM Sarma said that the government’s focus would remain on creating infrastructure that removes bottlenecks and enables faster, safer and more seamless movement.
He said the broader objective was to ensure that Assam overcame its longstanding connectivity gaps and entered its next phase of development with unhindered movement becoming the norm across cities, towns and villages.
–IANS
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