Skip to content Skip to navigation

Connectivity: Lifeline of Assam

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 )

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

AGP issues whip

4 Feb 2014 - 4:07pm | AT News
The Opposition Asom Gana Parishad on Tuesday has issued whip to its party legislators to vote for Haidor Hussain in the Rajya Sabha polls slated for February 7. The three line whip is being...

Rajkhowa takes Rs.5000 cr bribe from govt: PCG member

29 Sep 2010 - 1:35pm | editor
PCG member Mukul Mahanta charges ULFA Chief Arabind Rajkhowa of accepting a huge amount of money as bribe from the government to start the peace talk.Talking to a private satellite news channel on...

New venture promotes organic farming in the NE

15 Jul 2017 - 10:30am | Mowsam Hazarika
Shillong-based Zizira, which is engaged in the area of natural food products, is looking to open markets in a way that will benefit the farmers of north-eastern region. “Agencies and the Government...

Gilbertson Sangma to attend GPC programme

15 Nov 2007 - 8:47am | editor
Legendary football player of Northeast, Gilbertson Sangma will attend the Guest of the Month programme of Guwahati Press Club on November 20 (Tuesday). The programme will begin at 12 Noon. Mr...

Other Contents by Author

The transfer and posting of a senior police officer, attached to the anti corruption cell has raised doubts over the Sonowal government's vision of a corruption-free society. In a bid that evoked sharp reaction across the state, the government has transferred Mukul Saikia at a time when he was firmly dealing with a few sensational investigations. The senior IPS officer is known for his firmness' and submitted many fearless revelations in the past. Of, late, he was heading the investigations of the multi crore scam social welfare scam apart from the cash for job scam in the Assam Public Service Commission. But suddenly the government issued a notification on Wednesday reposting him as...
Security forces had a narrow escape when on Sunday morning when an attempt by s joint ULFA-I and NSCN-K team missed the target in Tinsukia district. The incident took place on early in the morning when security forces were moving in the area and as they reached the Jagun area rebels indiscriminately targettef them from the dense jungle who managed to flee immediately. A massive operation is underway. But nobody has been caught so far.
 After days of will-they-won’t-they, police have arrested Akhil Gogoi on Sunday in connection with the recent protest in Kaziranga. A group of policemen caught the KMSS leaders from his residence in Chandmari in Guwahati in the morning charging him with aiding and abetting the people who staged protest against the eviction drive in the world heritage site where two people were killed in police firing. Gogoi, who took the leader allegedly fled from the scene and since then policemen in Guwahati and Bokakhar have been looking for him to be arrested.
Along with the rest of the nation the 70th Independence day was  celebrated in Tangla with three days long programme schedule with gaiety and fervour by administration of Harisinga Revenue Circle and local public. On Monday in the morning at 9 am Lakyhya Jyoti Das Circle Officer, Khoirabari Revenue Circle hoisted the tri-colour at Tangla HS field.Delivering his speech Das said," Along with the development and progress peace and fraternity is needed for which the co-operation of people is necessary. He further said that "Youths of the nation should join hands in Nation building. He also spoke on the urgent need of mitigating the Man-elephant conflict in Udalguri district, need for...
The shoot out in Karbi Anglong district seems to have mired in controversy as the authority has called it an incident of accidental firing where a policeman was killed. Official sources in Guwahati denied any militant attack on the Rongbongway police station where policeman Ratul Gogoi died in the wee hours. Earlier, it was believed to be a rebel attack in the run up to the Independence Day
In yet another landmark development in the Manipur’s poll political landscape, Irom Sharmila on Tuesday announced to end her fast to fight the upcoming assembly polls. Talking to reporters at the Imphal Court premises, she said that she is waiting for August 9 to break her 15 year long fast. She observed that during her 15 year long she got no response from the people in power and that there is hardly any hope a positive response in near future. She said that she has no option but to politically fight the draconian Act that empowers the armed forces to unleash reign of terror on the common people. The decision is bound to have a huge impact on the state’s political scenario in the north...
An health awareness programme was held at the conference hall of Tangla College on Wednesday. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Prasen Daimari Principal Tangla College. It was presided over by outgoing vice principal B.M Singh. Convenor IQAC Anima Bhuyan Baruah spoke on the purpose of the programme. Dr. Hara Kanta Das Retd. District Joint  Director Department of health,Government of Assam was present in the programme as resource person. NRHM District Committee Mobiliser  Mousumi Kalita was also present in the programme. The programme was organized by Health care cell, IQAC Tangla College in collaboration with Health department govt. of Assam.
BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary,who is also president of Bodoland Peoples Front(BPF) party files a defamation case against Abdur Rahim Khan,MLA of All India Democratic Front(AIUDF) of  No.43 Barpeta constituency of Assam  today at Chief Judicial Magistrate Court,Kokrajhar demanding strong punishment to Khan. Mohilary demanding strong punishment to Khan,MLA from AIUDF party files defamation with CJM court in Kokrajhar district of Assam,which was case registered with court 142/2016,under/section(u/s) 499/500/501/502 of the India Penal code(IPC),1860. Khan had commented defamtory words on Mohilary on February 1 last terming that Mohilary belonged to terrorist of blood,killer, BPF is...
The Theme Song of the 12th South Asian Games, 2016 was launched amid thunderous applause of thousands of people and volunteers, gathered for the Run for North East and the Torch Relay in Guwahati this morning. The theme song is one of Late Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s immortal creations ‘Ei Prithibi Ek Krirangon’.  Launching the theme song, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports (I/C) Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Bhupenda’s vision and universal appeal of humanity and brotherhood would keep inspiring us and the whole world.” He further added that the Theme song perfectly expresses the vision of the Games, that is, peace, progress and prosperity.  Minister of Transport, Excise,...
BTC deputy chief Kampa Borgoyary inaugurated the delegate session of the 19th annual convention of the Journalists' Union of Assam (JUA), which has got underway with two-day programme scheduled here at Basic Training Centre in Kokrajhar today.   Borgoyary, in his speech urged the journalist fraternity to be dedicated and devotion to the building of national integrity highlighting human resource as well social upliftment in the country. He said that BTC administration was working for all round development  since it's created under Sixth scheduled of Indian constituency through which region got ray of development and spirits of the social integrity. The convention has witness...