Dr Jitendra Singh unveils two North East inter-state road projects

Papum Pare district of Arunachal, West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya will be benefited

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh dedicated two inter-state road projects in the northeastern region, through video conferencing at a function in New Delhi on Saturday. The 17.47 km-long Doimukh-Harmuti Road links Assam and Arunachal Pradesh while the 1.66-km Tura-Mankachar Road provides connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya, stated a PIB release.

The construction work for both the roads inaugurated today has been implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). The Doimukh-Harmuti Inter-State Road has been constructed under the North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) at a cost of Rs 58.25 crore. The length of road in Assam is 7.87 km and remaining 9.60 km in Arunachal Pradesh. The construction of the road was started in September, 2017 and completed in January, 2019. The road was funded by the North-Eastern Council (NEC) under Ministry of DoNER, Government of India.

The road will provide an alternative connectivity to Itanagar and immensely benefit the people residing in Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh in general and the people of the capital region in particular.

The Tura-Mankachar Road is the first road which have been completed under the NERSDS. The construction of the road was started in September, 2017 and completed in June, 2018. This road has also been funded by NEC at a cost of Rs. 4.71 crore. The road provides an alternative connectivity to Tura and will immensely benefit the people residing in the West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya.

Both roads are designed as two lane carriage ways to cater the traffic load of 10 MSA (Million Standard Axles).

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said the inauguration of the two roads marks a reiteration of the Government’s commitment to development of the northeastern region (NER). He said the Northeast has undergone a revolutionary transformation in the last five years under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister has paid several visits to the NER demonstrating his indulgence towards the NER, he added.

Pointing out that the NER faced a unique challenge as the region lacked intra-regional connectivity compared to connectivity with the rest of the country, Singh said inter-state connectivity in the Northeast suffered on account of negligence. Union Government has given focus to revival of such “orphan roads”, he added.

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