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In a joint statement released during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India, the Indian government appreciated Japan’s intention to provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans amounting to approximately 67 billion yen for the improvement of road network connectivity in North-East states.
The ODA loans will not only improve the connectivity in and around North-East states in India but also the economic activity.
With this nod, work on two road projects -- two laning from Aizwal to Tuipang in Mizoram (380Km) to be awarded in three sections and another two laning from Tura to Dalu in Meghalaya (48Km) -- is likely to be started by the next fiscal year. The total cost of these two projects is around Rs 5,880 crore.
Earlier, Business Standard reported that the Indian government is keen to offer a shelf of 11 highway projects in the North-East for funding to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) has been entrusted for the purpose and is looking at developing projects spread across Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Nagaland.
The detailed project reports (DPRs) for these projects, having total length of 1,266 Km, are in various stages of implementation and subsequently demand for funds will be raised after completion of DPRs. Out of the 11 projects, DPRs with necessary modification have already been submitted for the Aizwal to Tuipang and Tura to Dalu projects.
NHIDCL’s managing director Anand Kumar said, "Right from inception we have taken JICA on board. The detailed project reports with certain modifications as per discussion with JICA were submitted to them and Department of Economic Affairs through the ministry of Road, Transport and Highways for these two road projects. With the nod we are going to award the projects by the next fiscal.”
“The objective of the project is to improve the connectivity in and around North-East states in India through strengthening the existing national highway network’” he added.
Last year, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the Japanese side had announced a survey by JICA to identify possible cooperation including road connectivity projects in North-East states of India.
