Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari reviewed the status of ongoing National Highway projects and upcoming projects in Assam under NHIDCL and NHAI at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi recently.
At a review meeting with Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and other senior officials of NHIDCL, NHAI and State PWD in the national capital, the Union Minister called for completion of the 28 ongoing projects that are running on schedule and for expediting completion of the 11 delayed projects under NHIDCL in Assam.
Following the plea of Chief Minister Dr. Sarma, Gadkari instructed the officials to expedite the completion of balance work of four-laning of 14-km stretch of Jorhat to Jhanji and from Jhanji to Demow stretching 11 km of NH 37 under SARDP-NE. Gadkari also asked the officials to put up road signages at proper places to prevent road mishaps on this vital portion of NH 37.
The Chief Minister requested Gadkari for deputing a Minister of State to inspect the ongoing work of four-laning of NH 37 from Jorhat to Dibrugarh.
The remaining work of four-laning of Demow to end of Moran bypass of NH 37, widening of four-lane with paved shoulder of Kawaram Taro Village-Dilai Section of NH 29 under NH(O), NE, including Manja bypass, four-laning of NH 37 from end of Moran bypass to Bogibeel, development and upgradation of four-laning from Jamugurihat end to Biswanath Chariali Bypass of NH 52, construction of Indunglo to Jatinga junction and from Jatinga to Harangajao of NH 54 also came up for detailed review.
On Chief Minister’s plea, Union Minister Gadkari asked the officials to complete the process for awarding the contract for the 121-km Guwahati Ring Road at an estimated cost of ₹5,729 crore by November end, to submit DPR for the elevated corridor of over 85-km length over Kaziranga National Park at a cost of ₹5,500 crore and re-tendering of the works of Majuli bridge over the Brahmaputra.
Chief Minister Dr. Sarma requested the Union Minister to hasten the process for the Gohpur-Numaligarh tunnel construction, Majuli bridge connecting Kamalabari and Nimatighat over the Brahmaputra, four-laning of Baihata Chariali to Tezpur highway stretch and construction of Mangaldoi bypass on NH 15.
Gadkari also reviewed the status of ongoing four numbers of projects that are on schedule and four projects with one-year delay under State PWD and MoRTH.
Chief Minister Dr. Sarma urged the Union Minister to see to it that existing roads are kept in good shape by NHIDCL and NHAI during construction of NHs to prevent accidents. Gadkari asked officials, including GM, NHIDCL to blacklist contractors who failed to adhere to the provisions of keeping the existing roads in good condition by way of imposing default liability.
Dr. Sarma also requested Gadkari to formulate a different work schedule for civil works in Assam in particular and the North East region as a whole keeping in view the monsoon season from April to October. Taking into account the Chief Minister’s suggestion, Gadkari directed the senior functionaries of the Central road agencies to work on it.
Later, in his social media handle X, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma wrote, “Today in New Delhi, I had the privilege of attending a review meeting led by Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @nitin_gadkari ji, focused on the development of 1001 kms of highway projects in Assam.
Our collective priority remains the timely completion of 57 critical National Highway projects across various implementing agencies.”
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, who attended the review meeting, urged Union Minister Gadkari to initiate the process in earnest for four-lane road connectivity with the Dhubri river port.
The review meeting was also attended by Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margerita; MP, Dilip Saikia, Assam Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, senior bureaucrats Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, KK Dwivedi, RP Singh and Raj Chakrabarty.
