All NE capital cities to be connected through four-lane NH : Kyndiah

Shillong, June 5 (UNI) In a major plan for better road connectivity in North Eastern states, all the state capitals of the region will be connected through four-lane National Highway under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP).

Union Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region P R Kyndiah today disclosed this at a press conference here adding that all the four-lane roads would envisage the existing 1246 km-long stretches of National Highway on BOT basis.

The Union Minister said that the Congress-led UPA government had also decided to provide connectivity to all the 85 district headquarters of the North-Eastern region.

After reviewing the progress of road communication in North-East India at the North-Eastern Council (NEC) Secretariat here, in the presence of Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang, the National Highway Authority of India and NEC officials, Mr Kyndiah said the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for 1036 km was already in progress while for the remaining 210 km length bids for the DPR were under evaluation.

Steps have also been taken under the SARDP-NE to improve connectivity of roads to the neighbouring countries and some important roads of strategic importance, he said.

Mr Kyndiah, a sitting MP from Shillong constituency, asserted that the Centre had taken steps to decongest the Shillong road by constructing the Shillong by-pass connecting National Highway-40 and 44 at the cost of Rs 300 crore. The length of 50 km is included in this phase.

''We are still waiting for the DPR on Shillong by-pass road and we hope that the construction of the Shillong bye-pass will be completed by 2008, ' the Union Minister said.

On the existing two-lane road stretch from Jorabat to Barapani on National Highway 40, Mr Kyndiah said the National Highway connecting Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Barak Valley in Asom would be soon converted into a four-lane roads.

Stressing the importance of Meghalaya's Nongstoin-Rongjeng National Highway road, the Union Minister said that he would also take up the matter with the National Highway Authority of India for maintaining the road.

Meanwhile Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang urged Mr Kyndiah to extend the Nongstoin-Ronjeng National Highway up to Tura, the district headquaters of West Garo Hills district for better road connectivity.

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