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Northeast will have America like roads by 2024-end: Nitin Gadkari
The Union road minister said that in Assam, they have completed 48 projects stretching 802 kilometres and projects worth Rs.40,863 crore are in the pipeline for which the process of land acquisition has already begun
“Roads in northeastern states will be of American standards by the end of 2024,” Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, said on Tuesday as he inaugurated 26 National Highway projects worth over Rs.17,500 crore in Assam’s Guwahati on Tuesday.
Gadkari said that in the last ten years, the Union government has spent Rs.3 lakh crore to construct 17,470 kilometres of roads and highways in the northeast.
“We are regularly monitoring the projects that are getting sanctioned. I have said this before also, by the end of 2024, we plan to introduce roads in the entire Northeastern region that of American standard,” he said.
The Union minister said that except for Assam, the central government is facing issues with land acquisition in other states while implementing such projects, especially in Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Gadkari asked the state government authorities to bring reforms in their land acquisition policies otherwise the Union government will have to close some important projects.
“Land acquisition policies are made by state governments and we feel comfortable with Assam because their policies make our work easier,” said Gadkari.
The Union road minister said that in Assam, they have completed 48 projects stretching 802 kilometres and projects worth Rs.40,863 crore are in the pipeline for which the process of land acquisition has already begun.
“There are ongoing projects across approximately 1,200 kilometres worth Rs.37,700 crore in Assam and we have completed a total of 136 projects throughout 2,099 kilometres for Rs.12,164 crores,” Gadkari said.
He added that 248 projects stretching over 4,091 kilometres for Rs.1 lakh crore have been planned for Assam, including the upcoming ropeway projects and the multimodal hub at Jogighopa.
About northeastern states, he said that 794 projects having a total length of 17,470 kilometres for Rs.3 lakh crore have been undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was present at the inaugural ceremony, along with other leaders, thanked Gadkari and the Union government over various projects, including four key projects Numaligarh-Gohpur underwater tunnel, Kaziranga Elevated Expressway, four-lane expressway between Baihata Chariali & Tezpur and Guwahati Ring Road, in Assam.
Meanwhile, former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP and Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev on Tuesday evening told HT that the BJP government should complete former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream project North-South and East-West Corridor.
“In 2020, Gadkari Ji unveiled Vajpayee’s statue in Silchar at the end of Mahasadak and promised to complete the road soon. But this dream of Vajpayee Ji remained unfulfilled and he is now talking about so-called American standard,” said Dev.
She suggested the BJP government also should study the soil of the northeast and make roads as per the possible standard instead of making “American claims”.
“Gadkari Ji is a respected leader and I would suggest him to refrain from such Jumlas and look how roads can be improved in northeastern states,” added Dev.
