‘Commence construction of Raiganj-Barsoi Road’

Raiganj: Krishna Kalyani, MLA of Raiganj, urged District Magistrate Surendra Kumar Meena to initiate the construction of the Raiganj-Barsoi Road, a key project connecting Bengal with Bihar. Though the state government had allocated funds for the project earlier, work has stalled due to the lack of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bihar government for constructing a bridge over the Nagar River at Bahin, which partially falls in Bihar’s Katihar district.

However, Kalyani recently learned that the required NOC from Bihar was obtained several years ago and is reportedly lying in the office of the North Bengal Development Department (NBDD). He has urged the District Magistrate to recover the document and expedite the project.

The proposed Raiganj-Barsoi road will run beside the Railway track through Bahin, enhancing connectivity between Barsoi Junction in Bihar and Raiganj in North Dinajpur, which are about 21 kilometers apart. Currently, the absence of proper road infrastructure causes significant difficulties for residents of Raiganj, Kaliyaganj, Hemtabad and Itahar police station areas, who struggle to catch long-distance trains from Barsoi Junction. Likewise, residents of Barsoi face challenges in traveling to Raiganj for business, healthcare and other purposes.

Krishna Kalyani, Raiganj MLA, stated: “This road is a long-standing demand of residents and our state government has already sanctioned funds for the construction of both the road and the bridge over the Nagar River. Once completed, it will not only ease travel but also boost trade and commerce between Bengal and Bihar. Recently, I had a talk with Manoj Agarwal, Secretary of the state Fire department, who confirmed that the NOC from Bihar was obtained during his tenure as secretary of the North Bengal Development department. Following this, the District Magistrate has been requested to retrieve the NOC from the NBDD office and commence construction immediately.”