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This is an archive article published on August 7, 2015
Land Boundary Agreement: Mamata claims credit, lays foundation of longest bridge over Teesta river
Mamata said, “It was not done for the last 68 years... We did it after coming to power as we had promised. People of the enclaves have tasted freedom after 68 years.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her way to attend a programme at Haldibari, in Siliguri on Thursday. (Source: PTI photo)
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed credit for India signing the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh.
In Cooch Behar district to lay the foundation of a bridge between Haldibari and Mekhliganj over Teesta river, Mamata said, “It was not done for the last 68 years… We did it after coming to power as we had promised. People of the enclaves have tasted freedom after 68 years.”
The bridge, which has been christened ‘Joyee’ — the biggest bridge over Teesta — will cut down the 85 km-long travel between the two places, Mamata said, adding that it will enable people to cross it in half-an-hour and save the two-and-half hour journey that it takes now.
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The demand for the bridge has been a long-standing one. The previous Left Front government did nothing to fulfil it, she said while addressing a meeting on the occasion, adding that it will cost the state Rs 440 crore.
At Hujur Saheber Maath, Mamata inaugurated 38 other projects for the district, which saw enthusiastic participation by people of erstwhile enclaves which merged with the country made possible by the signing of the LBA with Bangladesh.
She announced the setting up of a private and a government medical college in Cooch Behar district. “A total of 24 lakh girls had been enlisted for the Kanyasree project and August 14 will be celebrated as ‘Kanyasree Day’,” she added.
Later, she held an administrative meeting with the district magistrate, SP, sub-divisional officers, land officials and elected representatives of the district.
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“She expressed her pleasure over the administrative work being done by the district and asked us to carry on with the good work. She also appreciated the fact that the district was on top when it came to the implementation of her dream project Kanyasree,” said a senior official.
Interestingly, no Opposition MLA were invited to the meet. Paresh Chandra Adhikary, Forward Bloc MLA from Mekhligunge — one of the four Bloc MLAs from the district — said: “She talks of holistic development with the involvement of all parties but we were not invited to the meet. This was the 101 administrative meeting and we had been invited to only one. Till the projects announced materialise, I don’t think people here will be convinced.”
Bloc’s Dinhata MLA, Udayan Guha, too said: “People here know who had struggled for the enclave exchange and they cannot be fooled so easily.”
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