Skip to content Skip to navigation

Connectivity: Lifeline of Assam

By editor |

The second bridge over the Brahmaputra is part of the East-West corridor, which would connect the North East Region with the rest of the country. At the same time, a high speed highway from Silchar to Srirampur is being constructed in Assam at an investment of Rs 6000 crores.The mighty and sacred river, the Brahmaputra, is the lifeline of the people of Assam. A new bridge over Brahmaputra will serve the people of Assam as well as the States of Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. It will provide a new path towards progress and prosperity. The UPA Government is committed to the rapid development of the North East Region. This project is scheduled to be completed by December 2008. It will reduce the overall travel time and distance between the North East region and rest of India.

Connectivity for Development

he Central Government is also committed to improving the road connectivity between the North Eastern states as well. The Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North East will construct new roads and help improve existing roads. It will connect state capitals, district headquarters and remote areas. In the first phase, it will be covering 1310 km of roads by investing Rs 4618 crore.India needs world class roads and bridges. Roads are the arteries of an economy.

Easy connectivity between different regions, between villages and towns, between farms and markets, will ensure spread of prosperity. The country has set a growth target of 9% to 10% over the next decade. It has achieved a growth rate of about 9% in the last two years and in the near future, the economy has the potential of achieving a growth rate in excess of 10%. The other task that needs to be addressed is to ensure that the fruits of this extremely rapid development is evenly spread among all regions and among all sections of society. For this, one needs to improve the condition of our agriculture, increase the employment in industry, and ensure that the youth get more jobs and farmers get higher incomes.

Need to Develop Industries

his is especially true for the North-Eastern region. The agriculture in the state has to improve a great deal. It needs to have more irrigation. It needs to achieve greater productivity. The North East, and particularly Assam, also needs more industries. The people of Assam are hardworking and skilful. However, lack of industries has affected growth of employment opportunities. And poor connectivity has in itself been a cause of poor industrialization. Bridges and highways are the best way to bridge the connectivity gap and enable rapid industrialization of Assam.
What is true for Assam is true for the rest of India as well. The need is greater investment in roads, ports, telecommunication, airports, railways and power. India has one of the largest road networks in the world and the Government has given highest priority to the development of better quality National Highways and construction of rural roads. The UPA Government has launched Bharat Nirman under which investments are made in rural roads, telephones, safe drinking water and electricity in every village.

Improved road connectivity will help in taking agricultural produce to markets and create new possibilities of employment, and reduce poverty. With this objective in view, UPA Government is investing thousands of crores of Rupees in road construction.

Ambitious Programme

The government is planning to implement an ambitious programme of Rs 2,20,000 crores till 2012 for improving the National Highway network. Several stretches will be improved to 4-lane or 6-lane width across the country. Most of these works will be taken up on a Public Private Partnership basis.

The National Highways Authority of India has awarded contracts for four laning of 600 kms of National Highways in Assam. This is the highest rate of road development in this region since the start of National Highways Development Programme.

Assam has now become a major beneficiary of the road programme. When these road projects are completed they will give a big boost to the industrial and agricultural sectors, to tourism and other service sectors in this region. Projects like this bridge across the mighty Brahmaputra will transform the lives and the economy of the region.
Adaptation from the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech at the laying of the foundation stone for the 2nd Bridge over river Brahmaputra in Guwahati .

(PIB )

  • 20069 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Yet another record on the cards

Assam is set to set yet another record. Come January 6. Altogether 15,000 artistes are going to perform kholat Mejenga Pathar in Titabor with an aim to create a Guinness world record. The venture would help the state spread the culture that was introduced by Vaishnavite siant Srimanta Sankardeva. The event is being organized under the aegis of Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha Titabor Committee.The mega event is being held to showcase the Assamese khol for the global community to admire. The artistes, wearing the same traditional attire, are gearing up to play the same beat on the instrument for 15 minutes in their bid to create to create a Guinness world record.

Blast near CM’s residence; boy injured

Despite watertight security, a low intensity blast exploded near Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s official residence in Koinadhara leaving a teenager boy injured on Saturday.He sustained injury when a detonator he carried home exploded near Gogoi's official residence at Koinadhora. Identified as Sanjib Das, the boy found the detonator attached to a wire at a stone quarry on the Assam-Meghalaya border and was carrying it home at Uday Nagar and it exploded in the high security area.According to police, the teenager suffered minor injuries in the explosion which was a small one and caused no damage. He said that Das was administered first aid at a hospital and released.

ATSU bandh total in Morigaon

Normal life came to a grinding halt in four districts following the 24-hour bandh call by the All Tiwa Students Union which ended on Saturday evening. The bandh call was given to demand immediate election in six Tiwa Autonomous Council constituencies in Kamrup (Metro) district. The impact of the bandh call was total in Morigaon district only. The other three districts -- Nagaon, Karbi Anglong an Dimasao - the bandh had partial effect on life. Mostly in Morigaon district, shops, business establishments and banks remained closed, while vehicles kept off the roads and National Highway 37. The day being a fourth Saturday of the month, state and central government offices remained closed, while...

Aaranyak observes Dolphin Day on the bank of Kulsi River

Dolphin Day observed by Aaranyak at Kukurmara on the bank of Kulsi River in Kamrup district today evoked overwhelming response from the local community of the area.Dolphin Day was observed by Aaranyak  which is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial  Research Organisation (SIRO), under its  Gangetic (River) Dolphin Research and Conservation Initiative to raise the level of awareness among the community on the urgent need for conservation of the endangered species of river dolphin.Kukurmara was selected for the purpose as it is located on the bank of Kulsi River where at least 30 species of the endangered national aquatic animal reside and is an important site for river...

Journalist arrested on bribery charge

Police arrested a Guwahati based journalist for allegedly collecting lakhs of rupees from various people on the pretext of providing them jobs in public sector undertaking Oil India Ltd.Monikuntol Saikia was arrested yesterday based on a FIR filed by a person. The complainant had filed the FIR alleging that Saikia had taken money from him and promised to facilitate a job in exchange.Saikia is also alleged to have duped several other people with false promises of providing jobs.

Guwahati food fest pulls huge crowd

An ethnic food festival pulls huge crowd in Guwahati as it focusing the cuisines of the various Mongolian origin ethnic people. The visitors are overwhelmed by the range of available cuisines. Entitled NORTHEAST MONGOLIAN FOOD FESTIVAL, the event at Last Gate witnessed huge turn out with tasty dishes. Local rice beer was also served at most of the stalls much to the delight of the visitors.

Bandhoon brings new glory for Baruah

Veteran Assamese film maker enjoys a fresh honour. His new film Bandhoon has been adjudged as the best film in the in the Bangaluru international film festival. The encouraging news came on Friday morning bringing glory for the internationally renowned film director who is known for his uncompromising and unique cinematic vision. His tenth movie 'Bandhoon' is produced by Assam State Film Finance and Development Corporation. This is their second movie after a gap of twelve years. 'Bandhoon's story and script are written by Jahnu Barua himself. 'Bandhoon' stars include Bishnu Khargharia, Jatin Bora, Zerifa Waheed, Beena Patangia, Dinesh Das, Abatush Bhuyan, Angshuman Bhuyan, Rita Barua Das,...

Mass Jogging on December 31 at Guwahati

Assam Jogging Association (AJA) has organized a Mass Jogging program on December 31, 2012 to usher in the New Year. AJA organizes the program on the last day of the year to welcome the New Year with an appropriate message that suits the time. The theme for 2013 is: “Hold Roses not Guns Communal harmony, for peace and Peace for Progress.”The Mass Jogging will be started from Dispur Parade Ground (Janata Bhawan Field) and it will end at the same point after completing a 8 kilometer round touching Chandmari Fly- over. The masss Jogging program will be flagged off by Mr. Universe Mahadeb Deka AJA appeals all to participate in the program. The march will be started at 6-15 AM. AJA requested to...

Tension in Tinsukia; tea garden owner killed

Tension prevails in Tinsukia a day after the owner of a tea estate and his wife were charred to death by a mob of angry workers. The incident took place at the Borduma Tea Estate when the estate owner Mridul Kumar Bhattacharjee and his wife Rita Bhattacharjee were burnt alive in the evening. According to police, the incident took place after Bhattacharya served eviction notice to two workers of his estate asking them to vacate their quarters. The two workers refused to leave and Bhattacharya called the police who arrested the duo on Wednesday. A group of workers rampaged through the bungalow of the owner. They set fire to the building and also torched two cars belonging to Bhattacharya. The...

Businessman shot at in Gossaigaon

A local trader sustained serious injury at a shoot out in Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district on Wednesday.The incident took place at night when unidentified gunmen fired upon the trader at his residence before disappearing in dense darkness. Identified as Bikash Sarkar, the injured businessman was rushed to the hospital. Police officials rushed to the spot but no one has so far been arrested.