Japanese agency to lend Rs 4,000 cr for two NE highway projects
Source: The Sangai Express / Courtesy TNN
New Delhi, January 21 2016:
The Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA)
has pledged a loan for around
Rs 4,000 crore for two major
highways projects in Mizoram
and Meghalaya.
The bilateral funding
agency approved this loan immediately after Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
visited India last month.
These two projects will be
implemented by National
Highways and Infrastructure
Development Corporation
(NHIDCL), an entity set up
by the Government to execute
works in hill and border
States.
A Road Transport Minis-
try official said that they are
also seeking a loan from
Asian Development Bank for
the Imphal-Moreh road,
which will improve transport
network in the region.
The first project in
Mizoram is to improve 380
kms of NH-54 between
Aizwal and Tuipang.
The sec-
ond project is improvement of 40 kms of NH-51 between Tura and Dalu in
Meghalaya.
"The approvals came quickly.
We are pursuing more loans
from JICA and Asian Development Bank as well.
"Government's focus is to improve connectivity in the entire
region and all the projects undertaken must be completed
within the deadline," an NHIDCL official said.
He added that Cabinet approval will be sought for the
projects and signing of the loan agreement.
About 19 road
projects have been posted for JICA loan assistance.
A Road
Transport Ministry official said that they are also seeking a
loan from Asian Development Bank for the Imphal-Moreh
road, which will improve transport network in the region.