For the border area development at a rapid pace by having better connectivity, Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development and Transport Minister Aruna Chaudhary on Wednesday written to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari for the construction of a permanent high level bridge at Makaura Pattan village in Gurdaspur.
Terming the project as the “absolute necessity” for uplifting economy of Gurdaspur and Majha region, Chaudhary detailed that there is a temporary pontoon bridge at Makaura Pattan which is laid every year over river Ravi after monsoon rains.
“There are seven villages across the river which are not connected with an all weather road and the bridge is dismantled every year before rainy season with people using boats to cross the river,” said Chaudhary, who is also MLA from Dinanagar in Gurdaspur.
Chaudhary pointed out that the local residents face a lot of trouble for doing their daily chores. “The students have schools and colleges on other side of the river, farmers are unable to bring their produce from their fields to market as well as sugar mills leading to huge losses of financial nature. The medical aid also is unable to reach the people in crunch situations,” she said.
Keeping in view the above considerations, she said that the need of this bridge is immense and expressed strong hope that the Union Minister would take a sympathetic view of the situation and bestow this gift to the inhabitants of border areas.