Infrastructural boom planned in the north east, 10,000 kms of four-lane roads to be implemented

Centre would implement a massive project to lay a four-lane road facility over a 10,000 km stretch in the north eastern states during the next financial year, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan today said.

He said the Centre was of the firm view that all states should get balanced attention. As part of this objective, the government was giving more attention for the development of north eastern states, he said, adding, all central ministers should visit these states at least thrice a year to ensure their development.

“This would be an extraordinary infrastructure development. As far as my ministry is concerned, we have drawn up a plan to provide massive infrastructure development in north eastern states by laying four-lane road facility. The total stretch would be ten thousand kms and investment would be Rs 10 crore per kilometre of road,” he said.

According to PTI, he also dismissed as “baseless and untrue” the Congress charge that the NDA government had jettisoned the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

“The government had earmarked Rs 40,000 crore for the NREGA scheme which is also aimed at deepening water bodies and creating facilities for farmers,” he said. Stating that the new financial inclusion scheme has been lauded “as a record achievement” by the World Bank president, the minister said, “The Jan Dhan Yojana has in a short period witnessed opening of 15 crore bank accounts since it was launched in August last and about Rs 16,000 crore has been deposited.”

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