Assam villagers fund and build own bridge after decades of government neglect

Guwahati: Villagers in No. 1 Bhandara, located in Assam's Bongaigaon district, took matters into their own hands. They built a bridge and approach road for nearly 7 lakh rupees. The project sat under the Srijangram Development Block within the Abhayapuri constituency. It took volunteers nearly two months to finish the job.

Costs hit 4 lakh for the bridge and 3 lakh for the road. The route is now fully motorable. Before this, ambulances could not reach the village. Schoolchildren struggled to get to class daily. The road provides vital access to Manikpur Regional College, Bijni College, and roughly eight to ten other schools in the area.

Locals paid for everything through public donations. They did not ask for help from elected officials. Residents claim no representative helped them since Independence. "Villagers proving that community participation can overcome long-standing infrastructure challenges when public support comes together."

A public meeting cleared the books after the work ended. Attendees included LRS Subhash Medhi from the Manikpur Revenue Circle, retired headmaster Darek Ali Mondal, and former Zila Parishad member Abdul Matin Ahmed. They gathered to review the expenses and celebrate the successful completion of the infrastructure project.