NE states seek Centre's intervention for implementing road-projects

Agartala, Sep 7 (UNI) Northeastern states today sought Union Transport Ministry's intervention to implement the road projects as rich bio-diversity of the area posed difficulty for execution of the projects in the region, official sources said.

According to the sources, the highway and inter-state road development projects were delayed because the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment did not clear the proposals for construction of roads in the forest land.

In a bid to persuade the respective state-governments in the region, the Transport ministry had initiated action for obtaining forest and environment clearances.

The Ministry had earlier released Rs 3.16 crore for preliminary road link projects, which are expected to be completed by 2012-2013.

Meanwhile, Ministry of DoNER is convening a meeting of the MPs of the NE region and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) next week, in Delhi to resolve the issues related to clearance of transport subsidy amounting to Rs 600 crore.

Planning Department officials said there was a pressing demand to include the service sector industries in the new industrial policy, as hotel and tourism sectors could contribute to the economic growth of the NE.

UNI