Manmohan Singh winds up eventful Asom visit

Guwahati, Apr 9: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today concluded his two-day visit to Asom after laying the foundation of two ambitious and long-cherished projects of the people of the state, amidst high expectations that the projects would put Asom as well as North East on the fast track of development.

While his visit was marred by a blast by ULFA militants in Guwahati and a media boycott of the foundation stone laying ceremony of a second bridge over the Brahmaputra in the city against high-handedness of the police yesterday, the laying of foundation of the Asom Gas Cracker Project in Dibrugarh district of Upper Asom went off without any hiccups this morning.

Dr Singh, who had spent the night at the Raj Bhavan here before flying to Dibrugarh this morning, had returned to New Delhi.

His proposed visit to neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh from Asom had earlier beenpostponed to a later date.

The Prime Minister, who represents the state in the Rajya Sabha, focused on the developmental aspects of both the projects he laid foundation of during his visit.

The fifth bridge over the Brahmaputra river, parallel to the existing Saraighat bridge, would serve Asom as well as the entire NE, Dr Singh had pointed out yesterday, emphasising the need for a good transport network for the region's progress. Underlining UPA government's thrust on improving connectivity of NE with the rest of the country, he said the new bridge would provide a new path towards progress and prosperity.

The Rs 238.44 crore three-lane bridge would be 1.4 km long and is being constructed by Gammon India Limited as part of the 'East-West Corridor' under the National Highway Development Project. The bridge is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Laying the foundation for the Asom Gas Cracker Project today at Lepetkata in Dibrugarh, 22 years after it was conceived, Dr Singh again mentioned the UPA's stress on development of NE.

He said, ''This project is a part of my government's dream for Asom's future. It proclaims the commitment of the UPA government towards the development of the state as well as NE.'' Christened as the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), the Rs 5460.61 crore project is the biggest investment in any sector so far in the state. The petrochemical project is part of the implementation of the historic Assam Accord signed in 1985.

The project would provide direct employment opportunities to about 1000 odd technicians, while another one lakh are expected to get work in the wide-ranging downstream industries. The prime minister's visit also brought news of other projects and indications of opening defunct projects in the entire NE region. Union Chemicals, Fertilizers and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, participating in the foundation laying ceremony of the gas cracker project today, said his ministry was mulling to renovate the Brahmaputra Fertilizer plant at Namrup in Upper Asom.

Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu had earlier informed that projects worth Rs 956 crore had been approved by his ministry for Asom during 2006-07.

Asom Chief Minister had hinted of a possible 'facelift' of the historic Stilwell Road (connecting Asom and China via Arunachal Pradesh) yesterday, highlighting that the Congress-led UPA government had the speedy development of NE among its top priorities.

Earlier, one person was killed in a blast triggered by suspected ULFA militants in Kumarpara area here at 1735 hours yesterday as the Prime Minister made his way to the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on the outskirts of the city to lay foundation of the new bridge over the Brahmaputra.

Another explosion was triggered by militants at Jorhat in Upper Asom, the home district of the Chief Minister, at 2145 hours.

However, no one was injured.

UNI