Gadkari bats for robust infrastructure in NE
Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
Moran, February 27 2016 :
Development of road and rail
connectivity as well as robust
power and communication
network will bring develop-
ment, attract industries and give
employment to youth in Assam,
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
said today.
Acknowledging connectiv-
ity is the biggest problem of
the north east region, Gadkari
said, "After our government
came to power last year, we
decided to work for the de-
velopment of the region and
set the National Highway
Road Development Corpora-
tion".
Stating that prosperity fol-
lows development of roads,
the Union Minister for Road
Transport and Highways said
besides surface connectivity,
electricity and good mobile
connection will attract indus-
tries to the N-E region, espe-
cially Assam.
Laying the foundation
stone of four packages on
NH-37 at Moran in Dibru-
garh district of the state,
Gadkari said the highest
number of construction jobs
would be given to local con-
tractors and they would also
be provided with machinery,
mobilisation and transporta-
tion advance.
In the coming year, one-
and-a-half lakh local workers
would be employed in road
construction work, he added.
The minister claimed that
the four-lane work of the NH-
37 would cost Rs 1,200
crore, adding that it would be
concrete roads so that mainte-
nance work gets minimal.
The projects for making
them four-lane are 18.40 km
road from end of Nagaon
bypass to Rangagara costing
Rs 225.02 crore, 18.315 km
from Rangagara to Kaliabor
Tinali worth Rs 289.99 crore,
26.90 km from Demow to
end of Moran bypass at Rs
385.55 crore and 19 km road
from end of Moran bypass to
Bogibeel junction near
Lepetkatta costing Rs 330.30
crore.
The Union minister said
three other road projects, be-
tween Sreerampur and Dhubri
along the Bhutan border and
from Tinsukia to Arunachal
Pradesh, have been started in
Assam at a cost of Rs 4,000
crore.
In the next three months,
five more projects will start
on Karimganj bypass, in
Silchar city, Silchar-Jiribam,
Silchar-Badarpur roads, be-
sides an automated weighing
bridge on National Highway
31, Gadkari said.
To improve transportation
infrastructure on the northern
bank of the river benefiting the people of northern districts of Assam, he
said the Dhakuakhana-Lakhimpur road was extended from
Lakhimpur via NH-15 to NH37 in Jorhat via Majuli.
For improving river transport on the Brahmaputra, he said
inland transport work would start soon.
The minister also
wants to develop tourism in the Northeast as 49 per cent of
investments in the sector goes into employment generation.
Laying another foundation stone of a bridge at Dhakuakhana
in Lakhimpur district over Brahmaputra, Gadkari said Rs
25,000 crore has been provided by the Centre for development
of roads in Assam during the next five years.
Similarly, Rs one lakh crore was allotted for road develop-
ment in the N-E region, he said.
Construction of proposed four new bridges over river
Brahmaputra in Assam by the Centre will improve road com-
munication in the state, he added.
The minister laid the foundation stones of three other
bridges, one of them at Majuli in Jorhat district connecting
the world's largest river island with Jorhat town.
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