Arunachal roads get Rs. 50k-cr booster

In a bid to build the matching road infrastructure across Arunachal Pradesh bordering China, the Union government has decided to invest a staggering sum of Rs.50,000-cr in the next five years. The targeted road infrastructure would be built by largely awarding contracts to local contractors. In addition, Transport and Highway Minister, Nitin Gadkari also announced a flurry of infrastructure projects covering road and water infra segments and also sanction fund for remaining stretch of Itanagar-Banderdewa 4-lane project. The minister also declared four new state highways namely Akajan-Likabali-Bame (119 km), Margherita-Changlang (44 km), Paka Gongo-Gogamukh along the left bank of the River Subansiri (125 km), and Tezu to Chapakhowa via Sunpura (20 Km) as national highway. The tender process for the first phase of 4-lane project from Itanagar to Naharlagun has been put in motion and work will start from March 2017. He also assured to fund east-west industrial corridor and frontier highway and said that the state government will have to provide land for the purpose.