20-year plan to develop State's infrastructure

Guwahati, March 19: For a holistic and inclusive socio-economic development, the State Government will soon embark on a journey to develop the infrastructure of Assam over the next 20 years.

Towards that end, the Planning & Development department has prepared a 20 year Perspective Infrastructure Development Plan (PIDP) for the State, an official release today said.

The department unveiled the comprehensive infrastructure development plan at a meeting with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at his office chamber here today.

Gogoi asked the concerned departments and line departments to make a feasibility study of the 200 proposed projects and to submit reports to him. The Planning & Development department will be the nodal department.

Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla, while suggesting creation of 8 to 10 sub groups to make an in-depth study of the proposed projects, directed the departmental heads to prepare the roadmaps and to submit them to the Chief Minister for fil approval.

The PIDP encompasses four core sectors vis-a-vis roads and Inland Water Transport, Urban Development, Industry and Power. A culmition of two years of extensive efforts, the PIDP is driven by a philosophy to attain integrated development that is symbiotic to each sector.

Aligned with the overall vision for the State, sectoral visions have been formulated and a comprehensive infrastructure development plan has been worked out for each sector by 2035.

Effective and efficient execution of the physical, policy level and institutiol interventions in the different sectors will lead to development of multi-modal transport corridors, development of urban nodes and industrial growth centres along these transport corridors and augmentation and strengthening of power infrastructure.

Around Rs 3,60,000 crore of investment is estimated to develop the envisaged infrastructure. Majority of the investments will be met through multilateral funding and private investments.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Minister for PWD, Ajanta Neog, Additiol Chief Secretaries and departmental heads.