Centre to expand IT and telecom facilities to every nook and corner of northeastern states: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday stated that government-accelerated development initiatives in the North East had transformed the ‘Look East policy’ into the ‘Act East Policy, leading to all-round development in the northeast region, enabling all the states to improve trade with Southeast Asian Nations.

He said the Pradhan Mantri GatiShakti Master Plan would act as a force multiplier in developing infrastructural facilities in the northeast region. “Whether it is road construction, expansion of railways or improvement of waterways, through Pradhan Mantri GatiShakti, we are committed to strengthening the pace of development. We have also made a lot of progress in the field of energy. We have ensured the progress in solar and hydel projects, and have provided electricity in every nook and corner.”

He also assured the people of expanding the IT and telecom facilities to every nook and corner of the northeastern states. “This will ensure economic development, good governance and public welfare. I have full faith that due to the hardworking nature of the young generation of North East, and the facilities given by the government for Ease of Doing Business, the North East region is moving towards a golden future,” Singh said.

In order to boost the northeast’s infrastructure and security, the Indian government has announced new sanctioned projects worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore.

While Arunachal Pradesh has been allotted Rs 44,000 crore – the highest among the northeastern states, Assam has been sanctioned projects worth Rs 38,000 crore, Meghalaya Rs 12,500 crore, Manipur Rs 15,499 crore, Mizoram Rs 6,664 crore, Sikkim Rs 2,000 crore, Tripura Rs 12,426 crore, and Nagaland Rs 3,235 crores, EastMojo has reported.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the two-laning of a 1,465-kilometre stretch on the Frontier Highway will be undertaken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) at an estimated cost of Rs 27,349 crore.

This project will pass through East Kameng and West Kameng districts, Upper Subansiri, Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Lohit, Anjaw, and Changlang.

The Frontier Highway will safeguard the Indo-China-Myanmar border and control migration from border areas while improving the tourism infrastructure in the state.

Assam received Rs 38,000 crore from the Indian government towards the construction of roads, four-lane bypasses, and five ropeway projects. It would include the 55-kilometre proposed Northern Guwahati Ring Road including a bridge over the river Brahmaputra at the cost of Rs 3,626 crore.

In Meghalaya, several road projects will come up under the Rs 12,500 crore sanction by the Indian government. Nagaland has received Rs 3,235 crore in three packages.

Road development projects covering 655 km are in the pipeline with Rs 15,499 crore allotted to Manipur.

Sikkim has received a sanction of Rs 2,000 crore to include the development of a bypass to the existing sliding zone on NH 10 from Melli to Singtam.

Mizoram got a sanction of Rs 6,664 crore that will be utilized for Two-laning of the 28-km Zorinpui-Longmasu stretch of the Indo-Myanmar Border Road at the cost of Rs 764 crore.

With the approval of Rs 12,426 crore, Tripura will undertake several road projects. Two-laning of the 135-km Khowai-Teliamura-Amarpur-Harina Road (NH 208) at an estimated cost of Rs 2,421 crore.

This road will connect tourists to destinations Tirthamukh and Unakoti. It will also connect Bangladesh through Kailashahar, Kamalpur, and Khowai Border check post via Feni Bridge.