Centre to spend Rs 1.5 lakh cr to improve NE highways: Gadkari
Shillong, Sep 24 : Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari here on Monday announced that the government will spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore for improving national highways in the northeastern states of the country.
"The Central government will spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore on improving national highways in the northeastern states.
"This will include about Rs 17,000 crore in Sikkim; Rs 48,221 crore in Assam; Rs 20,000 crore in Nagaland; Rs 12,000 crore Mizoram; Rs 22,000 crore in Manipur; Rs 8,000 crore in Tripura; Rs 10,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh; and Rs 8,000 crore in Meghalaya," the Minister said while inaugurating the 102-km Jowai-Ratacherra section of NH-6 in Meghalaya.
The 102-km two-laned stretch of the highway has been constructed at the cost of Rs 683 crore. It has three major bridges across rivers -- Alpha, Lubha and Umproshung -- along with 34 minor ones, 441 culverts and a 123-metre-long tunnel.
The Union Minister said the Jowai-Ratacherra road will boost the overall socio-economic development of the population of the Jaintia Hill districts.
He said trucks and heavy vehicles coming from the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam can move smoothly in a record time to Silchar in Barak Valley, within Assam and thus provide connectivity to Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Southern Assam.
The travel time from Jowai to Ratacherra will be reduced from 4 hours to 2.5 hours.
The Minister further said land acquisition and environmental clearances were the two major hurdles delaying the road infrastructure projects in the northeastern states.
He asked the Chief Ministers of the northeastern states to hold monthly review meetings on land acquisition and environmental clearance for early implementation of road projects.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Tripura Chief Minister Biplap Deb, Arunachal Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and a host of Meghalaya cabinet ministers were prsesent at the inauguration ceremony.
"Land acquisition is a state subject and therefore we need the cooperation of the respective states. If the state can make progress on land acquisition and environmental clearance fast, we assure you that we will immediately approve the road projects and start the project as early as possible," Gadkari said.
Noting that prosperity comes from roads, the Union Minister said that industries and agriculture are the two very important sectors.
"If you want to develop industry and agriculture, four important factors are water, transport, road and communication, and without them we don't have industry and without industry we don't have employment potential."
Reaffirming that the Central government is giving the "highest priority to development of the North East", Gadkari said: "We want to implement all road projects in the region in a transparent and corruption-free manner. The government has decided to construct more railway lines and develop inland waterways to boost trade and commerce."
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the highway will help boost the economy of the area.
"With the area being a high economic activity zone, the completion of the road will go a long way in boosting the economy of the area in particular and Meghalaya as a whole," Sangma said.
The highway that passes through the coal and cement producing belt is a lifeline for the landlocked states of the North East.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
