Express corridors from Guwahati to Dibrugarh & Siliguri will slash travel time: CM

Dibrugarh: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced ambitious plans to construct express corridors connecting Dibrugarh to Guwahati and Guwahati to Siliguri, promising to drastically reduce travel time and transform the state’s transportation infrastructure.Speaking at the 77th Republic Day celebrations after unfurling the Tricolour at Khanikar Playground in Dibrugarh, he said once the Dibrugarh-Guwahati express corridor becomes operational, it will significantly cut travel time between the two cities, boosting economic activity and connectivity across upper Assam.The announcement comes alongside major infrastructure developments already underway in the state. Sarma said work has begun on a 35-km-long elevated corridor at Kaziranga, which is expected to be completed within approximately two years. This elevated corridor will also contribute to reducing travel time between Dibrugarh and Guwahati, while ensuring minimal disturbance to wildlife in the Unesco World Heritage Kaziranga National Park.Sarma also announced that govt has requested the Chief Justice of India to establish a circuit bench of the Gauhati high court in Dibrugarh. This move would provide easier access to justice for residents of upper Assam and surrounding regions, reducing the need to travel to Guwahati for high court proceedings.He also revealed that Union home minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for Assam’s second legislative assembly complex in Dibrugarh on Jan 30. The project, estimated to cost approximately Rs 300 crore, is expected to give new momentum to upper Assam’s development.The CM said the road connectivity sector has witnessed transformative change in recent years. After 2016, major bridges, including the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge, Bogibeel Bridge, the new Saraighat Bridge, and the new Kalia Bhomora Bridge have been opened to traffic. Currently, four more bridges are under construction across the Brahmaputra River, further enhancing connectivity across the state.Speaking about Assam’s economic resurgence, the CM cited Reserve Bank of India data showing that over the past five years, Assam has emerged as the fastest-growing state economy in the country. He noted that the state’s gross state domestic product has risen rapidly, with the economy’s size nearly tripling in less than a decade.Sarma highlighted investment commitments secured at the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit in Feb last year, totaling more than Rs 5 lakh crore, with projects worth nearly Rs 3 lakh crore already moving toward implementation. Following his recent participation in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan 19-24, Assam received additional investment commitments worth approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore.Sarma emphasised Assam’s industrial growth, noting that the country’s first bio-ethanol plant has started operations at Numaligarh, and the foundation stone has been laid for the fourth unit of the fertiliser plant at Namrup with an investment exceeding Rs 10,000 crore. In the semiconductor sector, chip production is expected to begin within six months at the Jagiroad plant, positioning Assam as a hub for chip exports.He also highlighted govt’s commitment to employment, adding, the state has exceeded its election promise of providing one lakh govt jobs by recruiting more than 1.56 lakh young people through a transparent process, with several thousand more appointments planned by Feb.