Itanagar, Nov 18: The North East Council (NEC) has assured the Arunachal Pradesh government of taking up upgradation of the existing airports and roads on a priority basis under the tenth plan.

The airports are at Ziro in lower Subansiri district, Daporijo in upper Subansiri) and along West Siang, besides a new airport at Roing in Dibang Valley district, state PWD minister Talo Mugli said this here last evening. He said the state government had requested the NEC, during its 47th meeting held at Guwahati on November 14, to complete the ongoing Pasighat and Tezu Airports at the earliest for providing air connectivity in the geographically isolated and inaccessible region. The NEC, however, has assured to take up the works immediately, he added.

Mugli, who attended the meeting along with Chief Minister Mukut Mithi and Governor Arvind Dave, informed that the NEC had accepted a proposal for creation of a special economic zone in the region for implementation of various development schemes. He also said the NEC had assured to look into the demand of the state government for providing subsidy for helicopter operations in the state.

The PWD minister disclosed that on the request of Mithi, the NEC has assured to include a few strategically important roads in the state in the tenth plan to facilitate surface communication with the interior-most and border areas of the state.

The roads likely to be included in the tenth plan include Tamen to Dolungmukh (12 km), Koloriang to Damin (112 km), Nyapin to Chayangtajo (40 km), Pakke to Gongo (125 km) and Raga to Tali, Mugli stated. Bureau Report