March 28, 2025
March 28, 2025
ITANAGAR, May 31: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has requested the Centre for early notification of four state roads as national highways.
Mein called on Minister of Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday and requested him to upgrade the four roads – the 120 km Akajan-Likabali-Bame, 44 km Margherita-Changlang, 125 km Daporijo-Gerukamukh-Dullungmukh and 59 km Tezu-Chapakhowa via Sunpura roads – at the earliest, a report from the PRO said.
Gadkari, during his visit to the state on January 31 had in principal agreed to declare these roads as national highways.
Mein said that National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has been entrusted with preparation of detailed project report for the roads except for Akajan-Likabali-Bame Road, which is under improvement to two-lane standard under Arunachal Pradesh Package for Roads and Highways under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP-NE).
“The remaining three roads await finalisation of DPR by NHIDCL,” the deputy chief minister said.
He also proposed to actively consider funding of East-West Industrial Highway Corridor and Frontier Highway under Bharat Mala Program on priority while citing that these roads are vital for the economic uplift of the people of the state as well as for all weather connectivity to the border areas.
The proposed highways are Bhairabkhund to Ruksin (431 km) under Phase-I, Mahadevpur to Kanubari (100 km) under Phase-II and the Arunachal Frontier Highway (1,841 km).
The Union minister has agreed to consider funding of East-West Industrial Highway Corridor from Bhairabkhund to Ruksin (431 km) under Phase-I and Mahadevpur to Kanubari (100 km) under Phase – II with a condition to the state government that it should made the land available free from any encumbrances for these roads.
It further said that NH-315 between Mahadevpur and Kanubari was under implementation under the Arunachal Pradesh Package of SARDP-NE.
Mein also sought approval of roads under SARDP-NE Phase B aggregating 931 km for both Indo-Myanmar sector and state roads, which the Union minister assured he would examine and pursue on priority.
The deputy chief minister further told Gadkari that the SARPD-NE roads under Arunachal Package and Phase A are in various stages of completion and execution in the state.
Gadkari said that the ministry had already set up a committee under the chairmanship of Director General (Road Development) and Special Secretary on February 2 to examine the cost economics and to suggest innovative materials/technologies to be adopted for the proposed Frontier Highway in the state.
The first meeting of the committee is likely to be held in the first week of June.
Package A for four-laning 10 km of NH-415 from Itanagar to Banderdewa has been sanctioned and awarded out of 30 km till date. Mein requested approval and sanctioning of the remaining 20 km stretch as Package B and C, which the Union minister assured to consider, the report added.
