[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 10 Oct: The ministry of road, transport & highways (MoRTH) has informed that the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor (EWIC) highway project remains a non-starter due to “land issue.”
The ministry stated that “since people are not ready to donate land free of encumbrances, as communicated by the deputy commissioners, the proposal of the EWIC is a non-starter.”
In August, All Arunachal Contractor Welfare Association president Nabam Akin Hina had complained to the public grievances cell of the MoRTH, wanting to know the reason for the failure of this project. On 7 October, the ministry responded and cited the failure of the state government to provide land free of encumbrances as the reason for the non-start of the project.
The proposed highway was first mooted by union minister Kiren Rijiju when he was elected as an MP in 2014 for the second time. Union MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to Itanagar in 2015 had agreed in principle to fund the project as a state highway, provided the Arunachal government completed the pre-construction activities such as land acquisition, forest clearance, and techno-economic feasibility study, along with the detailed project report (DPR).
The 692.70-km-long industrial corridor would run along the foothills on the boundaries of Arunachal and Assam. The DPR, which this daily was able to access, consists of two phases: Phase-I, from Pasighat to Bhairabkhund (539 kms), and Phase-II, from Kanubari to Manmao (153.70 kms).
On 5 February, 2020, a high-power committee, headed by then legislative assembly Speaker PD Sona, who is the present education minister, had approved the DPR for the EWIC.
In March 2021, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had announced in the state assembly that the Arunachal government would soon take up construction of the proposed two-lane corridor project with the Centre. The chief minister had said this in reply to a question raised by then Congress MLA Wanglin Lowangdong in the assembly. Since then, Lowangdong has switched to the ruling BJP.
The EWIC highway project is a very important project for the people of the state who are living in the Assam-Arunachal boundary. “This project can change the fate of the people living in the foothills. Besides providing much-needed road connectivity, it will forever end dependency on Assam roads. Also, it will open up economic opportunities for the people,” said Hina, who belongs to Belo-II village, situated near the Assam-Arunachal boundary under Kimin circle of Papum Pare district.
He also urged the government to conduct proper surveys. “It is wrong to say that everyone will demand compensation for this project. If proper awareness is given, and if the district administration approaches the people with the right mind, many will donate land free of cost,” he added.
