Tezpur, Jan 21 (PTI) Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said the Centre will set up a modern floating jetty on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam’s Sonitpur district to facilitate movement of cargo and passengers via waterways, which will help transform the local economy.
The union government has prepared a plan to build such a facility at the historic Biswanath ghat, he said.
Once the proposed floating jetty will be operational, it will facilitate the docking of three ships simultaneously, Sonowal said while interacting with BJP workers here.
The jetty will act as a “catalyst of change and fulfil realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision about transformation via transportation,” he said.
“The new jetty will be instrumental for commuters and will help the local economy flourish as farmers and traders will be able to transport and export their produce via waterways,” Sonowal, the shipping minister, said.
The Centre’s ‘Act East’ policy has made “wonders for the economic revival of the region in the global trade map”, he said.
“By reenergising our traditional routes of trade via the Brahmaputra river, we have a tremendous opportunity to regain our glory as an important hub of trade in this part of the world,” he said.
“Due to lack of interest of successive governments towards development of the northeast, the region was plagued by distress, violence, insurgency, corruption and hopelessness”, he said.
This has, however, changed since 2014 when the BJP-led government came to power at the Centre, he claimed.
The country has witnessed a “rejuvenated growth trajectory” he said, adding that the policy change from “think to act east” has ensured that development in the northeastern part of the country gets top priority.
Sonowal urged BJP workers to commit themselves to the cause of “nation-building with complete dedication”.
“Since the time of its birth, the BJP has always worked towards holistic development of the country,” he added. PTI DG BDC BDC
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