New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday inaugurated a significant national highway project in Nagaland and laid the foundation stone for 14 other folks entailing a total expense of about Rs 4,127 crore, the government mentioned.
The Road, Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister mentioned 55 highway projects worth Rs 11,711 cr have been authorized for the state in the final six years.
“Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 15 National Highways projects in Nagaland today…These NH Projects has (have) a length of about 266 km involving cost of about Rs 4,127 crore,” Ministry of Road Transport and Highways mentioned in a statement.
Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh have been present on the occasion apart from MPs, MLAs and senior officers.
Gadkari mentioned the Centre is committed to the improvement of NorthEast and Nagaland and informed that 667 km have been added to the NH network in Nagaland throughout the final six years, which depicts a development of almost 76 per cent.
The NH network in the state right now has been extended to 1,547 km up from 880.68 km till 2014.
The minister mentioned just about all districts in Nagaland now have been connected except a handful of, to a robust network of National Highways.
“He said, the NH network density now is 93.30 km/ 1,000 sq km against National average of 39.90 km/1,000 sq km. The population wise density of NH network in the State is 77.73km/lakh population against national average of 10.80 km /lakh population,” as per the statement.
Gadkari additional informed that for improvement and improvement of National Highways, 55 projects of total length of 1,063.41 km and total expense of Rs 11,711 crore have been authorized in final six years.
These contain improvement of Dimapur City, biggest city of Nagaland, project at a total expense of about Rs 1,598 crore.
Sixteen projects of length 690 Km amounting to Rs 7,955 crore are in progress, he added.
Another seven functions of 105 km amounting to Rs 966.75 crore are in tendering stage, the minister mentioned adding that 11 functions of 178 km length costing Rs 2,127 crore are to be authorized throughout 2020-21 with enhanced sanction ceiling.
Five functions of 524 km costing more than Rs 6,000 crore are in DPR (detailed project report) stage.
The Union Minister added that beneath CRF (central road fund), total sanction till now from 2002 is Rs 1,334.3 crore, of which Rs 487.14 crore has been released.
He announced that a sum of Rs 45 crore is getting released for Nagaland quickly.
Gadkari requested the chief minister to urgently send the estimates for Land and Damage Compensation in respect of Kohima Bypass, the statement mentioned.
He also informed that NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd) has taken up two-laning of Kohima-Mao road in Nagaland, and the civil perform has currently been awarded on September 30, 2020.
“Chief Minister Nephiu Rio requested the Union Minister to consider development of foothill roads in the State. Gadkari informed that the same is under consideration. The CM also raised the issue of Dimapur-Kohima Road, called as the lifeline of Nagaland.
“Gadkari responded that perform is in progress, and 70-80 per cent perform on this road has been completed. NHIDCL has undertaken rigorous efforts to bring the projects on track and expedite the progress of perform. Regular meetings at the highest level have been taken to expedite the progress of perform on ground,” the statement mentioned.
Gadkari also urged the CM to additional evaluation the NH functions to resolve the situation.
Speaking about 26.25 km Kohima-Mao road for which the foundation stone was laid on Friday, Gadkari informed that this stretch is also an essential component of Asian Highway (AH-1) connecting to Myanmar as it will significantly strengthen connectivity of Kohima city to Manipur border.
It is also essential for socio-financial progress of Nagaland, he mentioned and added that greater roads will support strengthen development of business and trade & advertising and marketing of regional merchandise from numerous sources like bamboo and so on.
VK Singh hoped that the new NH projects will attract enhanced tourist visitors to the state.