Govt to boost connectivity in NE, Oppn unimpressed
Projects look good on paper and could help transform the region; however, Opposition feels proposals are nothing new but just marketing gimmicks by the BJP
GUWAHATI: Northeast is the flavour of the season. The region where connectivity is a big problem is getting lot of attention as New Delhi pushes ahead its Act East Policy.
Road, rail and air connectivity projects in eight states of the region are in focus as the NDA government aims to open up links with South East Asian nations Myanmar, Thailand and beyond.
“Lack of connectivity is one of the biggest hurdles in the path of development of the northeastern region. We aim for transformation by transportation through investment in infrastructure in the region,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a public meeting in Aizawl last week.
Modi informed the Centre has sanctioned over 3,800km of national highways with an investment of ₹32,000 crore in last three years. Nearly 1,200km of these roads has already been constructed. “Union government will be investing another ₹60,000 crore under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in Northeast and ₹30,000 crore under Bharatmala project in the next two-three years to build a network of highways and roads in the northeast region,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to connect all state capital in the region with rail network. Fifteen new rail projects of 1,385km of tracks at a cost ₹47,000 crore rupees is in the pipeline. On an average, ₹5,300 crore has been spent annually by the Centre in the past three years to improve rail infrastructure in the region.
“We are working on a detailed plan to improve air connectivity in the region. Use of sea planes to connect remote areas in the region would help in that direction,” Modi said in a separate rally in Shillong on Saturday.
Ninety-two new air routes connecting state capitals in the region, smaller airstrips to other parts of the country are being planned as part of Centre’s Udaan scheme. Connectivity through waterways is also part of the plan. Of the 106 new national waterways declared part the National Waterways Act, 2016, two major ones — 891km over Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri and 121km on Barak from Lakhipur in Bhanga — fall in Assam.
“Internet connectivity is also getting lot of attention. The Centre’s
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We are working on a detailed plan to improve air connectivity in the region. Use of sea planes to connect remote areas in the region would help in that direction. NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister
focus would help bridge the transport bottlenecks to Myanmar and Thailand by road, to Bangladesh via waterways and rest of SE Asia by air,” said Assam industries and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary.
The projects look good on paper and could help transform the region. But opposition parties feel these proposals are nothing new but just marketing gimmicks by Modi and the BJP.
“The so called proposals are an attempt to fool people. Modi has made lot of false promises since 2014. But the ground reality is very different. They have not been able to do anything for roads in Nagaland,” said Nagaland Congress chief K Therie.
Assam Congress president Ripun Bora said the most of the connectivity projects announced or being executed by NDA government are just extension of old schemes prepared during UPA rule in New Delhi.