Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurates the Dhubri civil hospital on Thursday as health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma looks on. Picture by UB Photos

Dhubri, Jan. 27: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi announced a bridge over the Brahmaputra and a medical college for Dhubri district during the inauguration of a 200-bed civil hospital here today.

Emphasising his government’s focus on the state’s all-round development in general, and the most backward districts in particular, Gogoi said Dhubri being one of most backward districts, more focus has been laid on its speedy development.

At another public meeting of Janajagaran Yatra in Dhubri Sports Complex ground, Gogoi said his government had already sanctioned a medical college for Dhubri and a bridge over the Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Phulbari. “There has been a long pending demand by the people of Dhubri district for a medical college and a bridge connecting north and south banks of the district, and both demands are going to be fulfilled soon,” he said.

Referring to the alleged propaganda by AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal that he had got the bridge sanctioned by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Gogoi said it was an out and out lie, as it was a Congress demand since the party came to power. The prime minister had sanctioned the bridge, but not because of pressure from Ajmal, who was just an MP, he added.

Gogoi said in his hour-long speech that Dhubri was once a vibrant trade and commerce centre and the Congress was trying to bring back its golden days. “Work for it started long back. I have inaugurated an Indo-Bangladesh trade centre at Mancachar. The railway service, which was defunct for years, was re-introduced from Dhubri. The foundation for an agriculture college was also laid near Chapor. Many such big projects are in the pipeline,” he added.

He said a part of the Rs 700 crore sanctioned for development for religious and linguistic minorities of the state, had been sanctioned for Dhubri.

Both Gogoi and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lambasted the AGP and BJP. Sarma said the parties had no agenda for development. Their only agenda was to defeat the Congress.

Sarma said work on the medical college would start from February and would be completed within three years.

The new building of Dhubri civil hospital was constructed on a plot measuring 5,160 square metre at a cost of Rs 7 crore, Sarma said.