Assam: Silchar Central Jail to be transformed into a botanical garden, cycling zone

The Assam state cabinet has decided to shift the Silchar Central Jail to Lakhipur and the place will be transformed into a Guwahati's old jail campus-like setup with botanical gardens and a walking zone.

Addressing a press meeting, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The cabinet has decided to shift the Silchar Central Jail to Lakhipur and the existing jail will be replicated with the Guwahati's fancy Bazar-like design."

"It will be a cycling zone, botanical zone, but the work for the park will start later as we will start with the jail work first," he added.

Further, the Chief Minister announced that the premises of the new jail has been sanctioned on November 29 and the park will be sanctioned later in 2 years' time.

Also Read: Asia's largest detention camp in Assam's Goalpara to be functional from December 2022, all you need to know

It is to be mentioned here that just before the cabinet meeting in Silchar today, November 29, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for a road widening and guard wall project on both sides of the Rangirkhal channel in Silchar town.

The Rs 42.06-cr project will rejuvenate the 17-km channel, which carries a huge volume of rain and stormwater and mitigate urban floods to a great extent.

On the other hand, the Assam government has approved three new flyovers in the state's Guwahati city, said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on November 28. 

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Sarma in Silchar.

As per the Assam CM, the three flyovers will come up at traffic points near Down Town Hospital, Fatasil Garchuk, and Kumarpara-Fatasil.

Earlier this month, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Department during his three-day visit to Assam had announced several projects sanctioned across the northeastern region.

The list of the approved project included as many as ten flyovers and road-over bridges across the state worth Rs 738 crore.  

These bridges and flyovers will be constructed at Kathiatoli, Borghat, Demow, Raha, Baihata, Simlaguri, Bongaigaon Refinery, Chapaguri, Pathsala, and Jagiroad.