Letter from the EDITOR

Harsh Jhunjhunwala

The engineering marvel of Bhupen Hazarika bridge is something to cheer for all Indians including the boatmen who have basically lost their livelihoods. This bridge has opened new avenues and the boatmen should be the part of the first opportunities that are to be provided by the Sonowal Government. Getting livelihood for each and every person displaced by any infrastructure project or any other is to be the first step in the planning of the project. The street lights on the bridge were not missed on purpose but the oversight was alarming. A project of such repute cannot have any scope of complacency. With India shinning and North East India starting to get the due attention it deserves time is right for the powers at the center to make things right for the region once and for all. Be it infrastructural or final settlement to various peace accords, speed is of essence to make them count.

If the history of the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge is to be revisited then we find that the Road, Transport and Highway Ministry cleared its feasibility study in 2003. The project was initiated in 2011 with target completion in 2015 and actually completed in 2017. The Bhupen Hazarika Bridge which is named after the famous Indian singer born at Sadiya will change the face of upper Assam and that of Arunachal Pradesh.