AGARTALA, Oct 27 - Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today laid the foundation stone of nine National Highways (NHs) for Tripura. DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb were present in the virtual ceremony conducted through video conferencing.
The nine NHs include Kailashahar-Kumarghat, Agartala-Khowai, Jolaibari-Belonia, Agartala-Churaibari and Manu-Singhlunngbari. The estimated cost of the projects with a total length of 262 km is Rs 2,752 crore.
In his speech, Gadkari said connectivity in Tripura, which is going to emerge as a gateway to the South East Asian nations, would undergo a sea change once the projects are implemented. �The Feni bridge will connect the entire North East with the Chittagong port of Bangladesh and Haldia in West Bengal. This will bring down transportation costs. The Centre will render all possible help to Tripura,� the minister added.
Gadkari exhorted the Chief Minister to prepare a Vision 2050 to make Tripura one of the wealthiest States in the country. �Health, education, transport, ports, agriculture and critical infrastructure must be incorporated into the Vision 2050 to make Tripura a new State,� he said.
On his part, the Chief Minister thanked the Union minister for awarding nine NH projects for the first time in the history of Tripura. �Once the road projects are implemented, development in the State will gain pace. The alternative NH (Churiabari-Agartala via Kailashahar and Kamalpur) will reduce the distance by 40 km. It will be a great achievement,� he pointed out.
Deb also requested the Union minister to expedite the four-lane works from Churaibari to Agartala. He sought Gadkari�s help in getting Rs 38 crore on repairing roads.
Singh also lauded the Chief Minister for development works in the State. �Development has taken the front seat in Tripura since Biplab Kumar Deb took over as the Chief Minister. I hope the State will prosper further under his leadership,� he said.
Minister of State VK Singh, while recalling the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, said Tripura has witnessed a great change over the years considering its infrastructure then.
