Review of ongoing infrastructure projects in Northeastern region
New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will meet the chief ministers of all the eight Northeastern states here on Monday to review the ongoing infrastructural projects in the region, officials informed on Sunday.
Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura will meet the Prime Minister for a review of the ongoing infrastructural and development projects, their progress and the obstacles, if any, being faced by them, official sources informed.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma, who came to attend the AICC and CWC meetings last week, is already here for the meeting.
The crucial meeting, which will be attended by Central Ministers and top-ranking officials, would discuss the ongoing projects of rail, roadways, power, airports and telecommunication, besides other related issues.
The Prime Minister, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, is expected to stress upon early completion of the projects, especially those related to road, railway, telecommunication and hydroelectricity.
A number of projects in the northeast are facing environmental hurdles while others are moving at a snail’s pace due to insurgency-related problems. Kidnapping for ransom of those involved in implementing infrastructure projects is very common in the region, hampering their timely completion.
The meeting is likely to pave way for early completion of the projects which have been delayed for years due to financial and other constrains.
Dr. Mukul Sangma and his Tripura counterpart, Manik Sarkar, are likely to draw the Prime Minister’s attention towards the need to improve border trade with Bangladesh, besides improving connectivity through the neighbouring country.
India has already decided to set up a new railway line between Tripura capital Agartala and Akhaura in Bangladesh and construct a bridge over river Feni to get access to the Chittagong international port, 72 km from Tripura’s border town Sabroom.
Another project, connecting Mizoram through Myanmar’s Kaladan river is also being implemented but is currently running behind schedule.
The Prime Minister is also likely to take stock of the progress of construction of roads along the Sino-Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh. (With inputs from PTI)
