The tardy progress in roads and highway projects in the North-East has finally caught the attention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam. The PM has convened a special meeting on Wednesday to review and expedite the infrastructure projects in the region.
Sources in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said the PM will chair the meeting and review the ongoing as well as stalled and delayed projects. So far the PMO used to take routine stock of the road infrastructure projects, but this time the PM has personally expressed his interest to look into road infrastructure in the seven sisters.
The Pioneer had published a detailed story on the stalled and delayed road projects in N-E, including the widening of main arterial Guwahati- Shillong NH-40. The Rs 762 crore project to widen the NH 40 was launched in 2010.
In fact, it was during the rule of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that the dilapidated two-lane NH-40 was restored. Three years ago, it took maximum three hours to cross the 100-km stretch between Guwahati and Shillong, but now it takes six hours. The only six-lane glory of the region is the 48 km Shillong bypass built by country’s road making agency NHAI.
A MoRTH official said that emphasis will be laid on expediting the infrastructure projects in the region, including the progress of Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North East (SARDP-NE) projects. Only 892 km of roads have been constructed during the last six years under SARDP-NE against the target of 1,283 kms. Centre has attributed the slow progress of highway projects to delay in land acquisition, law and order problem, and forest clearances.
“An amount of about Rs 40,000 crore for massive road infrastructure development has been committed by the Centre for the region. Approval have been given for preparation of DPR for 3,723 km of roads in the region,” said the official.
All the Chief Ministers of North East have sent several reminders to MoRTH to initiate necessary steps and expedite road construction work in the region.
The objectives of SARDP-NE is to upgrade NH connecting State capitals to 2/4 lanes and to provide connectivity to all 88 District Headquarters of N-E States
by at least 2-lane road; to improve roads of strategic importance in border area and improve connectivity to neighboring countries.