Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 14 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday expressed confidence in Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory in poll-bound Assam, asserting that no one can act as a barrier to restrict the party's win under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the BJP's 'Booth Vijay Sankalp Sabha' in Guwahati, Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed PM Modi for his development initiatives in the state, particularly highlighting the recently approved underwater tunnel in the Brahmaputra River connecting Gohpur and Numaligarh. He termed it as 'an unimaginable gift to Assam',

'This time we will win, by making a record. What we want was given by the Prime Minister to Assam. Today, the Prime Minister has given us such a highway where the aircraft can land. Yesterday, the Union Cabinet met, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi allocated Rs 18,000 crore to construct an underwater tunnel in the Brahmaputra River connecting Gohpur and Numaligarh. What we can't imagine, the Prime Minister has given an unimaginable gift to Assam,' the Chief Minister said.

'When I said that the Elevated Corridor would be constructed in Kaziranga, under water tunnel would be conducted, at that time people laughed at me and us. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no one can stand as a barrier wall infront of us to restrict our victory,' he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday approved the construction of a 4-lane access-controlled greenfield connectivity from Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh on 715 section, including 15.79 Km of Road cum Rail Tunnel under the River Brahmaputra to be developed at a total capital cost of Rs 18,662 crore in Assam on Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC).

Currently, the route between Numaligarh on NH-715 and Gohpur on NH-15 is 240 km via the existing Kaliabhambhora road bridge near Silghat on NH-52. The journey takes 6 hours and passes through Numaligarh, Kaziranga National Park, and Biswanath Town. To address these challenges, the project is proposed to be developed as a 4-Lane Access-Controlled Greenfield connectivity from Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh with Road cum Rail tunnel below the Brahmaputra River, according to the release.

This would be the first underwater Road cum Rail tunnel in India and 2nd in the world. The project will provide significant benefits to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and other Northeastern States. This will enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reducing logistics costs and driving socio-economic growth in the region.

PM Modi also inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across the River Brahmaputra today. This new bridge is built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore. The 6-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first of its kind in Northeast India.

Given the region's high seismicity, the bridge incorporates base isolation using friction pendulum bearings. High-performance stay cables have been used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance.

A Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) has also been incorporated to enable real-time condition monitoring, early damage detection, and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge.

He inaugurated and flagged off development projects worth over Rs 5,450 crore, aimed at strengthening connectivity, digital infrastructure, higher education and urban mobility in the North-Eastern Region. (ANI)