Sahibganj hopes for a new era with PM visit

SAHIBGANJ

: The rising sun over the holy Ganga will herald a new dawn for over 11 lakh-odd residents of this sleepy district when Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens the economic gateway of Jharkhand from here on Thursday.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of the ambitious four lane Rs 2266 crore bridge on the river as well as a port which will be part of the proposed 1,390-km multi model terminal on the river from Varanasi to Haldia on National Waterways 1. Another road bridge is also being constructed from Sahibganj to Manihari in Bihar which would bring the southern part of the country closer to the northeast.

The district along with many other parts of

Santhaal Pargana

is one of the most backward in the country and apart from employment at the stone crushers, (stone chips from here which are of good quality are sent to other states), there is no source of livelihood for which migration is one of its major malaises.

The construction of the port at Sakri Gali- Samda Nala promises to bring a turnaround in the economy of not only the district and the region but the state as a whole.

“The construction work will itself generate direct and indirect employment to more than a thousand locals of the area,’’ said Ajay Nath Jha, Dumka district public relation officer. Work was already in progress at the site and is expected to be completed in two and half years. Union minister for road transport and waterways Nitin Gadkari during his recent visit to the state capital said, “Sahibganj will be developed into a multimodal transportation hub which will herald the economic growth of the state.’’

Excitement was palpable among the locals of this other wise non decrepit town on Wednesday as Modi will be the second Prime Minister of the country to visit the place after former PM Narasimha Rao way back in the 80s.

Twenty-five year old betel (paan) vendor Ganesh Kumar Singh said, “I have never seen an event organised on such a grand scale in my life.”

Ganesh, who is a graduate, could not get any employment in his home town and had no option but to open the shop. “Let’s see if Modi’s arrival brings any luck to us,” he said.

The Police Lines ground, the venue of the PM’s programme, buzzed with activity with SPG, administrative officials and security personnel swarming all over the place.

Chief minister

Raghubar Das

also arrived here on Wednesday evening. A huge 70-feet-long dais was being given last minute touches where a state-of-the-art German hangar with a seating capacity of one lakh was ready and waiting.

“We expect an audience of more than two lakh people,” said state BJP leader Deepak Prakash.

Huge cut-outs of PM Modi, chief minister Raghubar Das and BJP MPs and MLAs were put up at the ground and on the periphery, including alongside the newly constructed highway.

PM Modi will also inaugurate the 311-kilometre long Gobindpur-Sahibganj highway and distribute appointment letters to the jawans of the newly constituted Pahariya special battalion. He will also lay the foundation stone of a 50,000 litre dairy project.