NEW DELHI, June 9 � The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) has cleared project worth Rs.1,255 crore for widening the strategic Nechipu-Hoj road to two-lane national highway standards on BOT (annuity) basis under the Arunachal Pradesh Package of Roads and Highways.
The cost of the project including civil cost, land acquisition and preconstruction activities and supervision and management is Rs.1,524 core, official sources said.
The Trans Arunachal Highway is a strategic highway, which runs across Arunachal Pradesh. The project road will improve the internal connectivity of western districts of Arunachal Pradesh with Itanagar, namely Seppa and Bomdila, sources said.
The road would facilitate the movement of security and defence agencies to combat anti-national activities and threat on border areas, sources said.
Apart from this, the road would also help in hydro power projects coming up in Arunachal Pradesh.
Widening of the road Nechipu to Hoj to two-lane has been approved by CCI in June 2009. CCI has further approved the proposal in March 2010. This is one of the four projects approved �in principal� by the Cabinet in January 2009, as part of the Arunachal Pradesh Package of Roads and Highways.
Meanwhile, Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, Bijoy Krishna Handique, today sanctioned Rs.26.66 crore for improvement and strengthening of Dihangi � Thaijwari � Halflong Tiniali Road in the North Cachar Hills District of Assam.
The amount has been sanctioned for a total length of 57 km. The project was identified for Central Financial Assistance under the Social Infrastructure Development Fund (SIDF) Package of Rs.500 crore declared in the Budget Speech of 2008-09 by the Finance Minister.
�This road once completed, would give a good and dependable connectivity to the interiors of the most underdeveloped District of NC Hills and will give a boost to the agricultural development and much required connectivity�, Handique added.
The implementing agency for the project is the Public Works Department (Halflong Roads division) of the Government of Assam and the time frame for completion of the project is 27 months. The target date of completion of the project is July 31, 2013.
