NE connectivity on Delhi radar
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Shillong, February 14 2011:
The Centre has accorded priority to linking of the capitals of the NE states to the main lines by rail, road and air routes.
An official statement said under the air transport sector, a new greenfield airport will be constructed at Pakyong (Gangtok) by September 2012 and another airport at Itanagar by July 2015 .
Under the railway sector, the Harmuti-Itanagar project in Arunachal Pradesh is scheduled to be completed by March 2012, Jiribam-Tupul project in Manipur and Azra-Byrnihat project in Meghalaya by March 2014 .
The Tupul-Imphal project in Manipur is to be completed by March 2016, while the Byrnihat-Shillong project in Meghalaya by March 2017, the statement said.
In the meantime, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has recently approved setting up of a non-lapsable fund called NE Region Rail Development Fund (NERRDF) for National Projects in the NE region.
The NERRDF will be funded to the tune of 25 per cent through Railway Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) and the balance 75 per cent by ministry of finance as non-dividend additionally to GBS.
The funds to be provided as non-dividend bearing additional budgetary support by ministry of finance may be allocated at the beginning of the year, an official statement said.