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Maitri bridge will be new Indo-Bangla trade corridor, says PM Modi
The 1.9-km bridge joins Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh and provides access to Chittagong port in that country.
The Maitri bridge would be a new trade corridor between India’s northeastern region and Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.
The 1.9-km bridge joins Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.
"The bridge will not only help to enhance friendly relations between the two countries but also develop as trade corridor between the northeastern region and Bangladesh. With the connectivity, there will be an increase in economic opportunities of people of both the countries," Modi said while inaugurating the bridge through video conference.
The Maitri bridge will now facilitate access to Bangladesh's Chittagong port, only 80 kilometres away from Sabroom.
Besides the bridge, Modi laid foundation stones for different infrastructure projects in Tripura that included of Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sabroom in South district, national highway 208 connecting Unakoti and Khowai district headquarters, state highways, district roads, 40,978 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Integrated Command and Control Centre under Agartala Smart City Mission, multi-level car parking and commercial complex, widening of a double lane road to four lanes.
Prior the 2018 assembly polls, Modi had promised to give the state development in the form of HIRA- Highways, I-ways, Railways and Airways.
“All these projects are part of HIRA. And the waterways have also been added to it. Tripura today has received the rural roads, expansion of highways, bridge, infrastructural projects as gifts," he said.
He also congratulated the BJP government on completing three years in power, Modi said that the state witnessed series of developments in different sectors due to “double-engine government” – a term used to define the Centre and the state governments where the same party is in power.
Modi said that Tripura now has ease of doing business after moving out of the “hartal culture” of the past.
"Tripura people have scripted a new era three years back. Now, they can feel the comparison between 30 years of the previous government and BJP's three years government. Earlier, no work was possible without commission and corruption and now, all the government benefits reach to beneficiary through their personal bank accounts. The employees are now getting salary as per Seventh Pay Commission, the MNREGA wages per day have been hiked from ₹135 to ₹205," he said.
“Tripura was allotted ₹350 crore for implementation of different centrally-sponsored schemes between 2009-2014. And in our government’s period since 2014 Tripura received over ₹12,000 crores. Tripura has set an example of having double-engine government," said Modi.
