Two BJP woman MLAs Agnimitra Paul and Chandana Bauri met Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal and urged him to construct a permanent bridge on river Damodar to connect the three districts of West Burdwan, Bankura and Purulia.

The temporary bamboo bridge on Damodar connecting Burnpur of West Burdwan to Biharinath Hills in Bankura district has been washed away recently due to flood, creating difficulty to thousands of people who used to regularly pass through the makeshift bridge on both sides of the river.

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In the month of Shravana, devotees and pilgrims from all over the state and neighbouring states come to Biharinath Hills offering water and puja in the temple, but now have to use the long and alternative route, making the journey difficult.

Few days back, Agnimitra Paul, the MLA of Asansol South and Chandana Bauri, the MLA of Saltora in Bankura met the Union minister and urged him to help in constructing the bridge.

“We have met minister Sarbananda Sonowal and discussed with him the local problems and submitted a memorandum urging us to construct the bridge as soon as possible. This bridge will not only ease alternative connectivity between three districts of West Burdwan, Purulia and Bankura, but will also boost tourism and spiritual tourism in Biharinath Hills in Bankura. It will act as a game changer in the local economy once constructed,” she added.

Already, the central government has constructed two flyovers in IISCO Steel Plant in Burnpur, which was inaugurated barely a few days ago and the flyover near Manoj Cinema Hall in Kumarpur of Asansol town is almost on the verge of completion.

When late Ram Vilas Paswan was the Union steel minister he had announced to set up a bridge connecting Burnpur with Purulia at a cost of Rs 25 crore, but after his death there has been no progress in that project and till date it has not been constructed.

The proposed bridge by the two MLAs will also boost the dream Jungle Sundari Karmanagari Project of CM Mamata Banerjee in Raghunathpur sub-division of Purulia district.

The villagers of Bankura and Purulia flock in hundreds for jobs every day in the industrial belt of Asansol for earning bread, along with local farmers who supply vegetables and fish in the local markets.