A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Presently in the three districts of the Barak Valley, works for various development projects estimated to be of Rs 22,623 crore were ongoing, stated Minister Kaushik Rai. In his maiden review meeting with the Deputy Commissioners as well as the high officials of the three districts after taking over the charge as the minister of the newly formed Barak Valley Development Department, Rai said that under the State Government, projects worth Rs 1,889 crore were underway while the rest of the projects were under the Union Government. Further, he informed that Rs 25 thousand crore would be sanctioned for the proposed Barapani-Panchgram expressway which would reduce the travel time between Guwahati and Silchar to just five hours. Rai said that out of the total sanctioned amount, Rs 12 thousand crore would be spent on the construction of the 285 km expressway while the remaining Rs 13 thousand crore had been earmarked for compensations for land. The work would begin in the next three months, he hoped.
Rai further said that the remaining work for Balacherra-Harangajao stretch of the East West corridor would be complete by January 2026. In the review meeting, the minister further said that 45 percent work of the Rs 135 crore-Mini Secretariat was complete and by the end of this year, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would inaugurate the buildings. On the other hand, 66 percent of the works of the 500-bed annexure of the Silchar Medical College had been completed and it would be operational within December this year. Works for the 200-bed super speciality hospital in the SMCH complex would begin from May this year, Rai said.
In the maiden meeting of the Barak Valley Development Department, the Minister reviewed the progress of 25 ongoing projects. Apart from the three Deputy Commissioners, the Barak Valley development Department Commissioner Adil Khan was also present.
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