GUWAHATI: A week after sanctioning Rs Rs 3,890.45 crore for strengthening connectivity in the Northeast, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced a collective sanctioning of Rs 4,502.93 crore for road development projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Mizoram.
Of the three states, Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the primary beneficiary, receiving Rs 2,378.72 crore for the construction of two crucial sections of the frontier highway spanning a total length of 93 km.
“In Arunachal Pradesh, an allocation of Rs 2,098.81 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of the Bomdila-Nafra-Lada section covering 78.3 km, and Rs 279.91 crore for the 15.4 km-long Lada-Sarli section (Package 7) of NH 913 (Frontier Highway) on EPC mode,” he told a national news agency on February 12.
The project anticipates linking uninhabited or sparsely populated areas of upper Arunachal, boosting the state’s tourism potential.
The move is also expected to accommodate a substantial surge in traffic, driven by the projected growth in tourism activities within the region.
Gadkari stressed that the development of the frontier highway segment will not only enhance connectivity but also facilitate the connection of major river basins, thereby fostering the growth of numerous hydropower projects within the state.
In Mizoram, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways sanctioned Rs 1,742.11 crore for the construction of the four-lane N Kawnpui – Sairang Section of NH-6. The 24.41 km project, situated along the Silchar – Vairengte – Sairang road in Aizawl and Kolasib districts.
“It will be executed under the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode,” a post on Minister Gadkari’s social media handle, noted.
Meanwhile, in Assam, an allocation of Rs 382.10 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of a new two-lane highway with paved shoulders connecting Majuli and Jorhat on the recently designated NH 715 K.
Additionally, a flyover on NH-175, complete with its approaches and service roads, spanning 20.479 km, is included in the project, another post on a micro-blogging website specified.
These allocations follow Gadkari’s recent approval of Rs 3,890.45 crore for the construction of three additional sections of NH-913 in the region on February 6.
