BALURGHAT: As the state gears up for the Assembly elections 2026, a long-pending humanitarian crisis continues to haunt residents of Lalpur and Chhagaldangi under Dhalpara Gram Panchayat in Hili block of South Dinajpur. Despite decades of political change—from the Left Front to the All India Trinamool Congress and the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party—the demand for a bridge over the ‘Shri’ river remains unfulfilled.
For nearly 50 years, villagers of Lalpur, Chhagaldangi, Jamalpur and Srikrishnapur, located along the Indo-Bangladesh border, have been seeking a bridge near Lalpur Primary School. For thousands, it is not just infrastructure but a lifeline for survival.
“Every day we risk our lives crossing the river for farming or grazing cattle,” said local resident Nripen Mahato. Another villager, Nilima Mahato, highlighted the added hardship of taking longer alternative routes along the border, often facing questioning by the Border Security Force.
Residents allege that repeated appeals during 34 years of Left rule yielded no results. Hopes remained unfulfilled during the tenure of the Trinamool Congress as well, with promises failing to translate into action.
The issue has resurfaced ahead of the April 23 polls, triggering fresh political assurances. Trinamool Congress candidate Arpita Ghosh said that if elected from Balurghat, she would initiate the bridge construction through the North Bengal Development Department. BJP candidate Bidhut Roy and Left Front nominee Arnab Chowdhury have also pledged to resolve the issue if voted to power.
However, years of unkept promises have bred deep scepticism among voters who still depend on boats to cross the river.
“Leaders come during elections and promise a bridge but vanish after winning,” lamented Nripen Mahato.
He pointed out that BJP MLA Ashok Kumar Lahiri, elected in 2021 and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar, now Union Minister of State for Education, had both assured construction of the bridge. “Neither kept their word,” he added. As polling day approaches, villagers are left asking a pressing question—how long must they continue risking their lives, waiting for a bridge that exists only in election promises?