Funds spur facelift
plan for Silchar
SANTANU GHOSH
ASSAM TRIBUNE
Cachar
Oct. 16: A Rs 5-crore package has been sanctioned by the
Centre and the Assam government for a major makeover of
Silchar, the second largest town in the state and the
headquarters of Cachar district.
The 175-year-old town, with a population of three lakh-odd
people, will be upgraded to a modern urban centre with all
ameneties.
The driving force behind this restoration effort is Sontosh
Mohan Dev, the Lok Sabha MP from Silchar and Union minister
for heavy industries and public enterprises. He boasts a
family connection with this town stretching back 150 years.
Dev said he had been trying to sell the idea of
re-beautifying this town to the state and central
governments and that his persistent efforts had finally
borne fruit.
This once beautiful town, spanning 15sqkm, has gradually
been turning seedy with escalating civic problems and a
steady loss of greenery because of unplanned urbanisation.
Previously a cantonment town, Silchar’s origin dates back to
the arrival of the British colonialists in Cachar during the
governor-generalshi p of William Bentinck.
On the drawing board for the slew of schemes planned for the
town’s facelift is the overhaul of its dilapidated road
network. Owing to floods as well as abundant rainfall in the
past few weeks, the roads are in a derelict condition and
are dotted with innumerable potholes.
Renovation of roads in this town will soon get under way.
The budget for this project alone is Rs 3 crore.
Dev said chief minister Tarun Gogoi would inaugurate on
October 26 what is now being touted as a showpiece for this
town: a spruced-up Gandhi Bag, set up in 1928 on a 30-bigha
verdant plot.
As much as Rs 1.5 crore for the renovation of Gandhi Bag
flowed in from the Centre, the state government and
corporate houses.
The new-look park has a serpentine lake where boats with
rubber pedals would be pressed into service. A toy train
will traverse a zigzag rail route, passing through a
500-metre-long artificial tunnel.
A jogging track, water fountains, a jumbo playhouse for
children and a large garden are the added attractions.
Also on the anvil is the first master drainage scheme in
Assam for this town with a budget of Rs 177 crore.
The USP of this underground drainage facility will be that
it will curb regular episodes of waterlogging in the town’s
main streets whenever there is a smart shower.
At least two more modern shopping malls are scheduled to
sprout, too.
Also on the cards are a couple more recreational amusement
parks, complete with floating restaurants and rowing
facilities. These will be set up at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore
at Ramnagar and Banskandi lakes near the town, where
migratory birds converge in winter.
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