Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has underlined the need for having a by-pass road for the capital city of Itanagar and Naharlagun, besides widening of the existing national highway (NH52 A) to ease traffic congestion in this bordering state.
Speaking at the Review Meet on National Highways and other centrally sponsored road projects in the North East at Guwahati on Friday, Tuki urged Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Oscar Fernandes to consider four lanes of the NH52 A from Chimpu to Banderdewa including the proposed by-pass sections at Itanagar and Naharlagun.
He said that the state government has decided to develop the by-pass sections of NH-52A at Itanagar and Naharlagun towns to four lane to ease traffic congestion.
Appreciating the concern of the Centre for development of road connectivity in the region, Tuki, however, regretted that several projects were being delayed for want of environment and forest clearances.
He requested the ministry to take up the issue with the ministry of environment and forest so that clearances were granted on time. “Due to delay in grant of environment and forest clearances, our people are being deprived of road connectivity in several parts of the state” he said.
The chief minister also called for a road connecting all the foothill areas of the state mostly bordering Assam. He pointed out that the under-construction Trans-Arunachal Highway will connect almost all the district headquarters of the state internally.
However, the foothill areas, which are mostly backward, will not be connected by it and hence an alternate road connecting all the foothill areas internally was needed, he said.
Tuki also stressed that maintenance of these roads was of utmost importance and suggested that sufficient funds be allotted for it.
Referring to the ambitious project of the Centre the East-West Corridor, Tuki said the project would be incomplete without touching Arunachal Pradesh. Incidentally, the East West Corridor reaches only upto Silchar in Assam. He appealed to the minister to reconsider the project and include Arunachal Pradesh in its ambit.
The chief minister also stressed on improvement of the Khonsa-Hukanjuri (35 km) road, which has been declared as a National Highway and maintenance of Itanagar-Banderdewa stretch of road on urgent basis, sources added.
PTI
