AASU demands rail link in new road bridge over Brahmaputra

Guwahati, Apr 5 (UNI) Ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony of a new road bridge over the river Brahmaputra by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 8 in Asom, AASU today reiterated its demand for converting it into a rail-cum-road bridge.

''The proposed bridge should be made into a rail-cum-road bridge.

Asom cannot hope to get a separate rail bridge if the road bridge is constructed,'' All Assam Students' Union advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya told reporters here.

''The actual work for the bridge can be started a few months later if planning for constructing it as a rail-cum-road one is worked out,'' he added.

Dr Bhattacharya expressed optimism that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's efforts to covert the new bridge into a rail-cum-road one would get a positive response.

Meanwhile, Union Surface Transport Minister T R Baalu had informed Mr Gogoi his ministry had got in touch with the Railway ministry in this regard and ''the Railways have informed us that technical feasibility exists for the construction of a railway bridge along with the proposed road bridge''.

Informing this in an official release here yesterday, the state government said the chief minister had been pursuing the matter with prime Minister, union surface transport minister and the railway minister.

UNI