The Bharatiya Janata Party
has initiated a study on
national highways in the
northeast region. On completion
of the study, the party will
release a comprehensive report
on the prevailing condition of all
the highways passing through the
region. The report is also expected
to suggest a host of measures that
the Centre needs to adopt in order
to strengthen the highways and
improve connectivity among
states in northeast.
"The decision to conduct the
study was taken during the recent
economic blockade of Manipur,"
BJP's northeast zonal organising
secretary P. Chandrasekhar Rao
told Projectmonitor.
"The blockade caused
immense hardship to the people
of Manipur. Our study report,
however, will focus on the entire
northeast region. We have
already started the process for
conducting the study but it is not
possible to give a date for release
of the report at this point of time.
Once the report is ready, it will
be handed over to our party
leaders who will then take it up
in Parliament. A copy of the
report will also be submitted to
the Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways," he added.
According to the 'Report to the
People 2009-10' released by Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in
June, the UPA government has
earmarked 10 per cent of the total
allocation for development of
national highways in the northeast
region. About 596 km of highways
was developed in the region
during 2009-10, the report states.
It further points out plans to develop
2,319 km of roads in Arunachal
Pradesh. The Trans-Arunachal
Highway is an important part of
the UPA government's highway
development initiative in the
northeast region.
During 2009-10, the total allocation
by various central ministries
and departments for the northeast
region rose to Rs 15,351 crore,
from Rs 14,753 crore provided
during 2008-09.