Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Says No Feasibility Study Done For Building Express Highway In Assam

Guwahati: In a statement made by the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, it was revealed that no feasibility study had been done for building the express highway along the Brahmaputra river.

This has come as a surprise to many as the Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier announced Rs. 4,000 crores for building the express highway back in April, 2017, during the closing ceremony of the Namami Brahmaputra festival.

The Chief Minister added that it had been decided by the Cabinet that the state government will now build roads on the embankments. The government has sanctioned Rs. 183 crores to build the first road of this project from Jonai to Majuli.

The Chief Minister said, "The express highway was a concept and no study was carried out to see if it can be implemented. We have plans to make roads on the embankments. (But) this will not be a highway."

CM Sarma also informed that the embankment-cum-roads will also function as a flood control measure.

He added, "The PWD specifications are more stringent than those related to flood control. When a road is constructed on an embankment, it will be very strong."

"But an express highway is not possible (on the embankment-cum-road projects) because you will not get an unobstructed way all along," he added.

The Chief Minister also informed that the embankment-cum-roads will be five metres wide and will pass through the constituencies of Jonai, Dhemaji, Dhakuakhana and Majuli.

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