Centre to launch new road scheme in NE

NERSDS to run concurrently with SARDP-NE

From a Correspondent

New Delhi, Jan 5: The Centre has initiated a new project for the development of roads in the Northeast mely ‘North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS)’. To be launched by the end of this year by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), the scheme will build tiol highways in every district town of the landlocked region.

Disclosing this here on Tuesday, DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh said, “NERSDS will be an exclusive road corporation which will take up all road issues of the Northeast. It will also take up so called orphan roads, such roads which are not taken care of by any State government.”

With this newly designed road scheme, the present regime under the leadership of Prime Minister rendra Modi seems to have decided to go a step ahead of the previous UPA regime.

In 2005, the UPA-I government had launched a mega road development programme ‘Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North East (SARDP-NE)’, but good road connectivity in the region still has miles to go.

“It is not that with the launching of NERSDS, the previous project (SARDP-NE) will be scrapped. Both the schemes will run concurrently,” said DoNER secretary veen Verma.

“Under this new scheme, all strategic roads in the region will be improved,” added DoNER  economic advisor SN Brahma Choudhury.

The DoNER minister was briefing the media in connection with a three-day-long Northeast event to be held in New Delhi from February 12.

The ministry is organizing ‘Destition Northeast 2016’ at Pragati Maidan to showcase the art & culture, business opportunities, skill development, tourism and other sectors in the Northeast.

“The event will have a business summit featuring tourism, skill development, food processing, handlooms and handicrafts, rural livelihoods, entrepreneurship, microfince, horticulture and floriculture,” said Singh.

The minister said that his ministry will take all steps for the development of the region. “We have also requested the Union Fince Ministry to increase the budgetary allocation of DoNER,” he said.

Meanwhile, DoNER secretary veen Verma said that the ministry is also talking with the Power and Environment ministry in connection with all the power projects in the region. “We are expecting reports from both the ministries on Lower Subansiri project soon, and as soon as we get it the next step will be taken,” said Verma.

DoNER officials said that the department is also going for PPP model for health care scheme in the region. The ministry is already in touch with the Adyar cancer institute of Cheni.

“As the people of NE region are prone to cancer, we are trying to rope in private players in this field,” Jitendra Singh said.