A bridge built at a cost of about ₹20 crore over the Murti River was inaugurated in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday, connecting the Nagrakata area with wider road links in North Bengal, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also announced work on two more bridges and approval for rebuilding a bridge damaged during a natural disaster last year.
The Murti River bridge was inaugurated during the chief minister’s visit to North Bengal, which included programmes in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar. The new crossing is expected to strengthen road connectivity between Nagrakata and Jalpaiguri, although the report did not provide details of the bridge’s length, traffic capacity or the roads it connects at either end.
“About ₹20 crore was spent to construct this bridge. Two more bridges are also being built,” Adhikari was quoted as saying. He also said approval had been given for the reconstruction of the Kalikhola bridge, which was damaged during a natural disaster last year, and that work would begin soon.
The announcement places the new bridge within a wider programme of transport infrastructure work in the region. The report did not specify the locations, estimated costs or completion timelines of the two additional bridges. It also did not give a construction schedule for the Kalikhola bridge beyond the assurance that work would start shortly.
The chief minister linked the infrastructure announcements to the condition of tea workers and closed tea gardens in the region. He said the state had received a grant of ₹330 crore from a central government project specifically for tea workers. Measures would also be taken to reopen closed tea gardens and provide workers a 20 per cent bonus during the Puja season, the report said.
The announcements are significant for communities that depend on road access to reach markets, workplaces and public services, but the source report did not provide an assessment of current travel times, traffic volumes or the number of residents expected to benefit from the Murti River crossing. The operational details of the bridge, including its opening for regular traffic, were also not stated.
Before the Jalpaiguri programme, Adhikari visited the Madan Mohan Temple in Cooch Behar and took part in an evening prayer ceremony. He said road, state and railway infrastructure in Cooch Behar would be developed within a year and that facilities for visitors staying overnight would be created, citing the district’s nature and temple tourism.
The chief minister was scheduled to attend a World Rhino Day programme at the Subhashini Tea Garden ground in Hasimara and a Forest Department event at Pilkhana in Jaldapara. The programme included the naming of two elephant calves, the destruction of wildlife body parts by burning and a departmental exhibition, according to the report. No further implementation details for the announced bridge and tea-garden measures were provided.
