Assam Govt To Set Up Company To Boost River Transport Infrastructure

Guwahati: The Assam government has decided to set up a company named Assam Inland Waterways Company Limited (AIWCL) to enhance river transport in the state.

A meeting of the state cabinet was conducted on May 3 at Janata Bhawan and it was chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the call was taken in this meeting.

Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said that the chairman of Assam Inland Waterways Company Limited will be Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Health Minister added that the company will aim to establish, maintain and operative cost-effective water transportation services within Assam including river cruises. All-weather ports, jetties and passenger terminals will also be developed and maintained.

Keshab Mahanta further said that the state cabinet had also approved the contract for the construction of Terminal and Riverine Infrastructure at Guwahati's Hatway Ghat and the total contract value will be a whopping Rs 289.45 crore.

The Assam cabinet also approved Assam Bridge Project-II, which will be as long as 4.08 km with a 4-lane extradosed PSC bridge over the Brahmaputra river and it will connect Palasbari and Sualkuchi at a cost of Rs 3197 crore.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister further went on to inform that as many as 34 Polytechnics and 43 Government ITIs will be upgraded as Centres of Excellence and this initiative will be done in association with Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) and the project will cost an estimated Rs 2390 crore.

The state government has also approved the release of Rs 308.75 crore as part of the Rs 700 crore relief package to employees of Nagaon Paper Mill and Cachar Paper Mill and they also assured that at least 100 paper mill employees will be provided with jobs.

The administrative approval for the construction of new Medical Colleges and Hospitals at Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Golaghat and Morigaon has been given by the cabinet and the total cost of the project will amount to Rs 2000 crore.

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