GUWAHATI: Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi said that a robust infrastructure is a catalyst for development and the government is committed to promote the development of Assam and Northeast by strengthening the fundamentals for robust infrastructure.
Speaking at the inaugural session of North East Infrastructure Development Conclave for the development of physical connectivity and integrated urban development for Northeast, Prof. Mukhi said that government of India has been liberal in investing in infrastructure to eliminate service backlogs of North East with special emphasis on rural areas.
He said that since a well planned infrastructure enables established businesses to expand their production levels and encourage small businesses to enter the market, both Central and State governments are making concerted efforts to put in place robust infrastructure for physical connectivity in the areas of air, water, internet and land transport.
The Governor said that in the current railway budget, centre has allocated nine per cent of the total budget for the North eastern states. This proposed outlay, the Governor informed includes a number of projects for laying new tracks, doubling of railway lines in the region including the newly proposed doubling of 381 km long Lumding-Tinsukia-Dibrugarh line at an estimated cost of 3810 crore. Moreover, works are taking pace for electrification of railway line in Northeast Frontier Region. Also, by 2022, all the three states namely Mizoram, Manipur and Sikkim will be connected by railways, the Governor retorted.
As for the condition of national highways is concerned, the Governor said that the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has conceived of extensive national highway projects to give a boost to the region’s physical connectivity. Giving a snapshot of different projects going on in the region, Governor Prof. Mukhi said that a host of projects involving old national highways namely 37, 37A, 40, 44, 51,52B, 54, 61, are at different stages of their implementation.
The four lane bridge over the Brahmaputra planned in Dhubri district once completed will shorten the distance between the cities of Dhubri and Phulbari by 203 kilometers. He also informed that the Ministry of Road Transport along with NHAI is preparing plans to iron out details of the project. Moreover, construction of four new bridges over the Brahmaputra namely Majuli-Jorhat, Dhakuakhana-Tekeliphuta-Disangmukh, Gohpur-Numaligarh and one near Tezpur are at different stages of their implementation, the Governor added.