PM lays foundation of Asom Gas Cracker Project

Guwahati, Apr 9 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today laid the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 5,460.61-crore Asom Gas Cracker Project at Lepetkata, Dibrugarh in upper Asom, which was conceived 20 years ago, and underscored the need to complete its construction within a stipulated period by adhering to a strict time-table.

Concluding his two-day visit to Asom, the Prime Minister said, ''This project is part of my government's dream of the future of Asom. It proclaims the commitment of the UPA government towards the development of the state as well as the North East(NE).'' Christened as the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), the project is the biggest investment in any sector so far in the state.

Dr Singh's visit to the state 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 Rs 238.44 crore three-lane second bridge over Brahmaputra , 30 metre west of the existing Saraighat bridge, will 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.

Underlining the thrust of the UPA government on improving connectivity of NE with the rest of the country, Dr Singh yesterday said, ''The new bridge will provide a new path towards progress and prosperity.'' The Prime Minister's proposed visit to neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh from Asom had earlier been postponed to a later date.

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UNI