‘Maitri Setu’ bridge connecting India & Bangladesh & providing better access to Chittagong Port to be inaugurated by the PM today

The Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ‘Maitri Setu’ bridge between India and Bangladesh on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 12 noon via video conferencing. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple infrastructure projects in Tripura during the event.

‘Maitri Setu’ has been built over the Feni river which flows between the Indian boundary in Tripura state and Bangladesh. The name symbolises the growing bilateral relations and friendly ties between the two countries, stressed a release. Construction of the 1.9 km bridge, which joins Sabroom in India and Ramgarh in Bangladesh, was taken up by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd at a project cost of Rs 133 crore. It is poised to herald a new chapter for trade and people-to-people movement between India and Bangladesh. With this inauguration, Tripura is set to become the ‘Gateway of North-East’ with access to Chittagong Port in Bangladesh, which is just 80 km from Sabroom, the release said.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom, which will help ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, provide new market opportunities for products of North-East states, and assist the seamless movement of passengers to and from India and Bangladesh. The project is being taken up by Land Ports Authority of India at an estimated cost of about Rs 232 crore.

Besides, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of NH 208 connecting the Unakoti district headquarters at Kailashahar with the Khowai district headquarters. It will provide an alternative route to the NH 44. The 80 km NH 208 project has also been taken up by National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation, the cost being Rs 1,078 crore.

In addition, the PM will inaugurate State Highways and other district roads, developed by the state government with a financial outlay of Rs 63.75 crore. They will provide all-weather connectivity to the people of Tripura.