Shillong: To improve air connectivity,
the Centre has approved three greenfield airports in the
North-east, an official statement said on Saturday.
The one at Pakyong in Sikkim is already under
construction at a cost of Rs 264 crore, while the other two
will be at Itanagar and Cheithu (Nagaland), it said.
Besides, the viability gap funding to Alliance Air for
providing air services in the NE region has been approved for
the years 2010 and 2011 at a cost of Rs 94.14 crore.
The development of Tezu airport, at a cost of Rs 79.00
crore, has been approved during 2009-10, the statement said
adding that the project is being implemented by the Airports
Authority of India and is expected to be ready by March 2012.
"So far, about 596 km length has been completed during
the year 2009-10. About 2319 km of roads and highways have
been developed in Arunachal Pradesh. Bids have already been
received for four projects with a total length of 776 km to be
awarded shortly. The Trans-Arunachal Highway forms an
important part of this initiative," the statement added.
It said the mega rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel over
river Brahmaputra which has been taken up will provide an
important link between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
“Conversion of the metre gauge routes -
Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam, Badarpur-Kumarghat and
Rangiya-Murkongselek - to broad gauge is being done on
priority. The capital cities of the NE states are getting
progressively connected by rail. Guwahati and Agartala are
already connected. Projects for connecting the capitals of
Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have been
taken up," it said.
The construction of the Assam gas cracker project,
which is expected to generate substantial downstream
investment and employment in the region, is in full swing and
Rs 744 crore has been spent till March.
The project is scheduled for completion in April 2012,
the statement added.
PTI
