Centre to step up 98 NH projects in 4 Northeast states to boost connectivity

NEW DELHI/KOHIMA: To boost surface connectivity and economic growth, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has stressed the need to speed up the 98 National Highway projects in four northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Tripura, officials said on Tuesday.

A senior Nagaland government official said that Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, reviewed the 98 National Highway projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, and Nagaland in Delhi on Monday.

He said that several thousand crores would be spent to implement the 98 National Highway projects. Of the 98 projects, 15 are national highway projects in Arunachal Pradesh spanning over 423 km, 29 are in Nagaland covering 545 km, 38 are in Manipur covering 808 km, and 16 are in Tripura spanning 324 km.

The official said that the Union Minister stressed expediting development to ensure the timely completion of critical infrastructure, reinforcing the government’s commitment to enhancing mobility and driving economic growth in the northeast region. The MoRTH approves 50 NH projects of 1026 km length in Manipur.

Out of this, 44 projects of 902 km length lie in the hills of the state so far. In the hills, 8 projects for 125 km have been completed, and the balance of 36 projects of Rs 12, 000 crore for 777 km are in progress.

In the Annual Plan 2024-25 of the Ministry, there are 2 National Highway projects of Rs 1350 crore for a total length of 90 km that lie in hills.

Gadkari, in his post on the X, said: “The focus of the meeting was on accelerating development in Manipur, ensuring timely completion of these vital infrastructure projects. This will not only improve connectivity but also drive economic growth, reaffirming our commitment to the advancement of the Northeast region.”

“In the meeting, we emphasised fast-tracking the development of highway infrastructure in Tripura, ensuring it is more sustainable and cost-efficient. These efforts will significantly improve connectivity, boost local economies, and further integrate the northeast into the national growth framework,” Gadkari said.

In Monday’s meeting, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh (Pema Khandu), Manipur (N Biren Singh), Tripura (Manik Saha), Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister (TR Zeliang), and Ministers of State—Ajay Tamta and Harsh Malhotra—senior officials were also present. (IANS)

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