1,172 wooden bridges to mutate into RCC ones

* NABARD agrees to fund the Rs-2,000 crore Lachit-Chilarai Setu Nirman scheme

GUWAHATI, June 5: NABARD has agreed in principle to fund the Rs 2,000-crore Lachit-Chilarai Setu Nirman scheme that is aimed at replacing the 1,172 wooden bridges of Assam into RCC ones by leaps and bounds within a year.

State Finance and PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had a meeting with top officials of NABARD in Mumbai on Monday. The top officials of NABARD have agreed in principle to fund the mega project.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Sarma said: "We converted 250 wooden bridges into RCC ones last year, and we still have 1,172 such bridges to be converted into RCC ones. We thought of converting all such bridges into RCC ones within a year so as to boost infrastructure in the State. I've approached NABARD that responded positively."

According to Sarma, 15 assembly constituencies in the State do not have a single wooden bridge. "With a view to converting the 1,172 wooden bridges into RCC ones within a year, we're contemplating on starting the work from September/October this year. This will be one of the biggest leaps on infrastructure front in the State," he said.

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