Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 3
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced a Rs.10,000 Crore worth road projects for Nagaland which, he assured, will definitely take off latest by the end of the next financial year 2016-17.
While lamenting that a major chunk of the North East India including Nagaland had been neglected in the past for political reasons, the Union Minister told journalists this evening at the Raj Bhavan Kohima, that the present Government at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now making development of infrastructure in the region its highest priority. He stated that unleashing the potential of the North East will be an important lever in attaining Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.
Besides roads, he said, the government is also contemplating on improving the health services, education facilities, industrial development, tourism and revenue of the North East states.
“We will not discriminate any state on any basis….. You are part and parcel of this counrty,” he asserted.
On the projects announced for Nagaland, the Union Minister said the four laning of Dimapur-Kohima (NH-39) whose foundation stone he unveiled at Chumukedima today, is being estimated at Rs.1200 crore. He said the cost will be divided into three separate packages. He remarked that this project was committed by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his maiden visit to Nagaland in October 2003.
Gadkari also announced to take up the work of improvement of city portions of NH-39 in Dimapur and Kohima for about 25 km length at an approximate amount of Rs 250 crore. He said the proposed work will include strengthening and construction of footpaths, drains, foot-overbridges etc. He said the Ministry has approved the construction of 37.5 km capital road- Bypass road from Dimapur to Kohima (Niuland –Meriema)- for Rs.400 crore. “The project has been approved in principle under Inter-State Connectivity Scheme for 2015-16,” he stated.
Another bypass road from Dimapur-Kohima measuring 53 km in length as an estimated amount of Rs.1000 crore is also set to be taken up once the land acquisition and clearances are completed. Also, the Union Minister informed that bids are being invited for DPR preparation for two laning with paved shoulders of 708 kms, covering newly declared National Highways and construction of foothill road from Amguri, NH-61 to Niuland via Longchem-Changpang-Governor’s Camp (189 km) and Athibung to Khelma (55 km).
Trans Eastern Highway from Mon-Longwa-Pangsha-Avangkhu-Kiphire and Trilateral Highways from Dimapur via Niuland-Zunheboto-Aghunato-Pangsha (ITC) will further be examined in the Ministry for declaration as National Highway, he assured. He said this road stretches 500 km long under an estimated cost of Rs.4000-5000 crore and works will take off as soon as the examination process is over. Improvement of two lane with paved shoulders for the recently declared NH-129A (Peren-Dimapur via Jalukie) will be done shortly, he informed. This road is better known as the Maram-Peren-Dimapur highway.
Gadkari also said the Ministry has sanctioned three bridge works under CRF for 2015-16 with a total amount of Rs.91 crore. The bridges include Chathe-Diphupar Dimapur (Rs.38 crore), Noklak-Pangsha (Rs.15 crore), and Dhansiri river (Rs.38 crore).
He pointed out that about 700 km of proposed road projects are pending due to land acquisition and forest/ environment clearance, towards which he said Chief Minister TR Zeliang has already assured that all clearance will be given in due course of time. On a lighter note, Gadkari said if land acquisition is done at the cost of the state government then he can guarantee that his Ministry will immediately give the cost of construction. On repair and maintenance of existing roads, he informed that Rs.20 crore is being sanctioned. While admitting that 20 crore is very less, he lamented that he is not in a position to give a fixed amount promise as there are certain constraints.
On the abandoned SARDP-NE road projects in the state for which the High Court recently gave its ruling, Gadkari said impasse happened due to defect in DPR. He informed that he will go through the court document and give his decision within three days whether to follow the ruling or pursue the matter in Supreme Court.
He expressed stern expectation that the announced projects will be carried out in full transparency, corruption-free system. In order to encourage local contractors, he said road projects will be turned into smaller packages while machinery advances will be provided so as to allow local contractors take on multiple projects.
Towards infrastructure development, he underscored that the role of the public is as important as the role of the central and state governments.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister informed that the Centre is setting up 111 inland waterways across the country and he has already proposed to the Chief Minister TR Zeliang there is scope if Nagaland is interested.
During the press meet, Gadkari was accompanied by Chief Minister Zeliang, Roads & Bridges minister Vikheho Swu, NH minister Nuklutoshi among other officials.
The ambitious 4-lane project along NH-29 between Dimapur and Kohima – which has been left abandoned for the past 12 years – was on Tuesday stamped with a seal of approval (or rather three monoliths) announcing its revival by the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.
Nitin Jairam Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping, unveiled the “foundation stone” marking the start of the 4-lane construction here today at Patkai bridge junction in Chumukedima. The project was announced way back in 2003, when the then Prime Minister, AB Vajpayee came visiting.
With the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) as its implementing agency, the project has been divided into three phases, with each phase allotted a time-frame of 3 years to complete the construction.
The first phase would cover an area of 14.935 km, the second phase stretches to another 13.715 km and the last phase has 14.210 km coverage. The HPC approved civil cost for all the three packages is Rs 904.00 crore. According to a status report on the project, 90% of land has been acquired – in all the three phases. Gadkari, in his address, reaffirmed the BJP-led government’s commitment to install good roadways across the northeast states. He announced that his officials were on the process of the preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for three more road projects in Nagaland.
According to Gadkari, these projects include the Dimapur-Kohima bypass road, Dimapur-Peren road and stretch of the Imphal-Kohima road. He said that his ministry would try to start the projects before March next year.
His only request, he said, was that the state government should complete the acquisition of land as well as environmental clearance “as soon as possible.”
The Union Minister expressed that it was his “duty to give god roads in Nagaland” while also observing that “there is an acute problem of roads” in the state. He shared that with proper road connectivity the state’s “industrial” and agricultural sectors could grow along with tourism.
This in turn, he said, would help alleviate poverty and unemployment in the state. Accordingly, he has instructed his officials to use “maximum local contractors” for the project, said Gadkari.
He also suggested that Nagaland, considering its rich deposits of coal, could invest on coal gasification technology, a process by which the mineral is turned into – among many other products – urea/fertilizers.
Gadkari’s suggestion was based on the fact that in the fiscal season of 2014-15, India’s urea import stood at a whooping 87.49 lakh tonnes. If Nagaland could harness the production of urea, via its coal mining, then it would be beneficial to all, he reasoned.
Further this would help provide employment opportunities to the local youths, he said. “The most important thing is to create employment opportunities.”
The Union Minister suggested the state government to prepare a “Vision Document”, after examining the “strengths of Nagaland.” He assured that such development oriented proposals would not go unheeded. “Infrastructure will be my responsibility.”
Chief Minister TR Zeliang, in his brief address asserted that the launch of the 4-lane project represents a beneficiary project to the Naga people but also as a “concrete foundation for the (central) government’s Act East Policy.”
Zeliang also appealed the land owners to be reasonable with their rates with the state government. “The road is for our people and it will remain with us,” he reasoned.
Nitin Gadkari announced Rs 750 crores for 181 km Maram-Peren-Dimapur road which would commence before March 2016.
The Union minister, who personally experienced bumpy ride from Dimapur to New Peren Headquarter, made the announcement in his public address at the centenary birth celebration of ‘Rani’ Gaidinliu.
Declaring that road construction from Maram in Manipur via Peren to Dimapur in Nagland would commence before March 2016, the Union Minister urged the Chief Minister to arrange forest and environment clearance and also complete land acquisition process at the earliest so that work can start before March 2016 for the state’s leg of projects. The Union minister also announced Rs 10,000-crores road and bridges development projects for Nagaland in five year period.
