AGARTALA, September 14 (TIWN): The Direct Project Report (DPR) for the construction of bridge over river Feni connecting Bangladesh has been finalised and being submitted to the state Industry and Commerce department, said state PWD Engineer in-chief Sunil Bhowmik. The department is the nodal agency for communication with the Bangladesh.

According to the DPR 250 feet long bridge would be constructed to connect northeastern states of Tripura with Bangladesh through the river Feni.

“The entrusted consultant had already submitted the DPR with the department for construction of a bridge on River Feni to connect Sabroom, a subdivisional town in South Tripura district with Ramhar of Chittagong Division of Bangladesh,” said Bhowmik.

He also said that the government of India has sanctioned Rs 91 crore for the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the neighbouring country on June 6 had laid the foundation stone for the bridge through video conferencing from Dhaka in presence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

The Tripura Left front government in view of getting an access to the neighbouring Bangladesh Chittagong sea port for carrying goods and heavy machineries is preparing to get the construction work of the double-lane bridge over the River Feni connecting internationally with the Bangladesh in track.

Government has been asking the central government to take all possible steps to ensure access to Bangladeshi ports to ferry men and material to and fro mountainous northeastern states and other parts of India via Bangladesh.

The the transit between northeast India and rest of the country and abroad via Bangladesh is likely to become a reality in near future. Tripura is also well-positioned to become the ‘gateway to northeast India, southeast Asia and Association of South-East Asian Nations.