Modi Govt to focus on road sector in northeastern states: MoS Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, Jul 24: The Centre will focus on road sector in the northeastern states in a big way to address the issue of poor connectivity in the region.

The government will also increase other means of transportation in the region, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.

"The emphasis will not only be on constructing new roads and widening the existing roads, but also on laying a network of inter-state roads which were hitherto not owned by any of the respective states and were often referred to as orphan roads," Singh, who met the representatives of an NGO, was quoted as saying in an official release.

A delegation of Manipur based Socio-Economic Development Organisation (SEDO) had called on Singh, Minister of State for Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) with the request to consider the proposal for an alternative and shorter inter- state connecting link between Manipur and Assam by means of a road from Churachandpur district headquarter Tuibong to Jiribam.

The members of the SEDO delegation led by Letkho Haokip handed over to Singh a memorandum and a letter of recommendation from Thangso Baihe, Lok Sabha member.

According to the memorandum, the existing link between Manipur and Assam through a road from Imphal to Silchar is about 250 kms long and also has a large traffic load.

In case an alternative road from Tuibong to Jiribam is constructed, it will be possible to connect the two states through a link which would be less than 150 kms.

The memorandum submitted to the Minister requested for this road project to be taken up under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resource (NLCPR) for 2015-16.

This will not only help in improving the connectivity but would also help in bringing all the underdeveloped regions closer to the mainstream.

Once completed, the road will help in connecting far-flung sub divisional villages to other destinations where presently there is no other means of transport except foot tracks, it said.

Singh gave a patient hearing to the delegation and said the government was keen to initiate new road projects wherever possible and at the same time, also increase other means of transport in the region, the release said.

PTI