“The maitri setu will not only boost the production of various bamboo products but will also widen the pineapple and agarbatti business in Agartala. It has the potential to become an important centre of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
New Delhi: Taking a step further in strengthening the bilateral relations between two countries, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated a 1.9km long Feni bridge between Sabroom on the Indian side and Ramgarh in Bangladesh, through video conferencing from the national capital.
The foundation stone was laid by the two prime ministers when PM Modi visited Bangladesh in 2015.
“With the opening of the Feni Bridge, Agartala will become the first Indian city closest to an International Sea Port,” the prime minister said after inauguration of the bridge also called as “Maitri Setu”.
“The maitri setu will not only boost the production of various bamboo products but will also widen the pineapple and agarbatti business in Agartala. It has the potential to become an important centre of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
In a video recorded message, his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina said, “Opening of any bridge is testimony to Bangladesh govt's continued commitment to support our neigbour India in strengthening connectivity in the region, particularly for Northeast India.”
“Political boundaries should not become physical barriers for trade. The bridge over Feni river will also help Bangladesh's trade with Nepal and Bhutan,” she said.
With a cost of Rs 133 crore, the bridge built by the National Highway Authority of India is important from social, economic and defence perspective. The distance between Sabroom and Chattogram is 75km and it will ease the transportation of goods from Chattogram and Kolkata ports.
PM Modi also said that the connectivity in both countries would get strengthened with this bridge.
Work on an integrated check post has also started near Sabroom, the prime minister said. The check post will provide new market opportunities for products from the northeastern states and help in seamless movement of passengers.
PM Modi on Tripura
During his virtual address at the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister attacked the previous dispensation that was led by Left-front government-headed by Manik Sarkar in the state.
He said, “The people of Tripura are now experiencing the change which have been brought in last three years in comparison to previous government’s 30 years. Earlier, no works were done without commission and corruption but now the people are getting their benefits directly into their bank accounts.”
The BJP government-led by Biplab Kumar Deb formed the government in Tripura, defeating Sarkar in 2017.
Talking about connectivity in the state, PM Modi said, “Tripura's connectivity infrastructure has steadily improved over the past 3 years. Be it airport work, rail link, or connecting Tripura to Internet via sea, they are working fast.”
Highlighting about the developmental work carried out by his government, he said, “Around 80,000 families are benefitted from pucca houses in the state. Tripura is one of the 6 states where new technology is being used in building houses.”
“The farmers and poor families are getting the benefit of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Tripura,” he added.
On Minimum Support Price to farmers, the prime minister added, “While earlier farmers had to face many difficulties in order to sell their produce, for the first time they have been ensured procurement on MSP in Tripura.”
