Big boost for North-East: Nitin Gadkari announces projects worth Rs 10,000 crore for Nagaland

Kohima: The Government of India has announced projects worth Rs 10,000 crore (US$ 1.5 billion) for road and bridges development covering 10,000 km for Nagaland which will be taken up in March 2017 and will be completed over the next five years. Government has also committed many other projects for the entire north east in the five year period. Minister of Road Transport and Highways, and Shipping, Mr Nitin Gadkari has accorded development of the north east region the highest priority. The projects which will be taken up in Nagaland include 43 km-long four laning of NH-39 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore (US$ 183 million), improvement of city portion of NH-39 in Dimapur and Kohima for about 25 km length which will cost Rs 250 crore (US$ 38.1 million), NH-39 Kohima-Imphal road covering a distance of 126 km at the cost of Rs 1,250 crore (US$ 190.6 million), Peren-Dimapur road, covering 63 kms costing Rs 364 crore (US$ 55.5 million), Kohima-Dimapur bye-pass road covering distance of 61 kms at a cost of Rs 550 crore (US$ 83.9 million) and three bridge works for 2015-16 worth Rs 91 crore (US$ 13.9 million). With regard to the projects in the North-east, Mr Gadkari indicated that 23 projects spanning 744 km and costing Rs 10,491 crore (US$ 1.5 billion) have already been started. He further added that in the north- east, the ministry has already decided to start 20 more projects in 2015, which will cover around 900 km and cost Rs 10 crore (US$ 1.5 million). He also requested the Nagaland State Government to arrange forest and environment clearance and complete land acquisition process at the earliest, so that the projects can be initiated before March 2016.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.