Govt to build bridge across Muri Ganga

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state government will come up with a steel bridge across Muri Ganga river to reduce hassles of reaching Gangasagar.

Muri Ganga is a tributary of the Hooghly river that connects Sagar Island with Kakdwip. People have to travel by road and then on vessels to reach Gangasagar for taking the holy dip every year.

"It will take time as the cost for constructing the bridge as per estimates will be over Rs 1,500 crore. But we will come up with the bridge to facilitate the pilgrims who come to Sagar Island every year in January, from different states. Our Chief Secretary has already spoken with the state Public Works Department and has asked to prepare a DPR," Banerjee said at a programme held in Babughat, where pilgrims of Gangasagar have camped.

The Chief Minister said that after the state government announced its plans to come up with a deep sea port at Tajpur, the Centre had asked for 74 percent stake in the port. Banerjee had then imposed a condition upon them that the state would be ready to hand over the stake to them if they come up with a 3.5 km long steel bridge on Muri Ganga to make the journey to Gangasagar smooth.

"Four years have gone by but the Centre has done nothing. Every year, more than 20 lakh pilgrims come to Gangasagar. The infrastructural development in the last three-four years at the place has ensured that pilgrims come here repeatedly. So we have already taken a decision that we will not look for any central assistance and will construct the bridge on our own," Banerjee said.

She urged the pilgrims not to pay heed to any religious instigation. "The administration will take strong action against anybody who will try to incite people on religious grounds," she warned.

She also came down heavily on BJP without taking the party's name and said: "A party is trying to preach a culture of hatred in the country."

Meanwhile, Banerjee offered government service to a family member of a liftman at Nabanna who suddenly died a few days back, from the Babughat venue and also unveiled two linear accelerator machines for cancer treatment at NRS Hospital. "The machine is capable of treating 70 patients per day," Banerjee said.