NEW DELHI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari Thursday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for national highways projects worth Rs 9,533 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.
These infrastructure projects will transform the picture of states in the northeastern region of the country by way of development, job creation, tourism and employment for the youth, the road transport and highways minister said.
"Gadkari inaugurated/lay the foundation for national highways projects worth Rs 9533 crore at separate events in Roing and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh today," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.
The minister was accompanied by the state Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
Complementing the agencies involved for timely completion of the projects despite obstacles like land acquisition and forest and environment clearances, Gadkari said these projects will ensure 24X7 connectivity between places and save travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The minister stated that road network in Arunachal Pradesh has increased from 1,804 km to 2,885 km in the last four years since 2014, and a sum of Rs 28,000 crore is being spent on construction of highways in the state.
In Roing, Gadkari inaugurated bridges across Dibang and Lohit River System, including approach road between Chowkham-Digaru.
"The total length of this project is 30.95 km and cost Rs 1508.30 Crore. The Minister also inaugurated the recently two-laned, 25.14 km Mahadevpur to Buri Dihing section of NH-52 B, constructed at a cost of Rs 136.60 Crore and 22.23 km Bordumsa- Namchik section of NH-52 B constructed at a cost of Rs 189.91 Crore," the statement said.
The minister laid the foundation for about 96.47 km of national highways projects costing Rs 2,114.82 crore in Roing.
These include two-laning of the 74.86 km Roing-Hunli Section of Hunli-Anini Road (NH-313) at a cost of Rs 1,718.59 crore; two-laning of the 11.31km Hayuliang-Hawai Road section of NH-113 at Rs 256.66 crore and the 10.3 km Hunli-Anini section of NH-313 at a cost of Rs 139.37 crore. In Ziro, Gadkari laid the foundation for 472 km of national highways costing Rs 5,583.92 crore.
These include the 26.12 Km Akajan-Likabali-Bame road at Rs 374.73 crore, and six packages on Joram-Kolorlang Road on NH 713 for a total length of 94.39 km and cost Rs 1,253.19 crore, and re-launched a project for two-landing of 351.38 km of Potin to Pangin section of NH-229 at a cost of Rs 3,956 crore, the statement said.