RANIKOR, 19 Feb: The government of India is making roads valued at Rs 3 lakh crore in the Northeast to help eradicate poverty and reduce the suffering of the people, union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday.
The union minister for roads, transport & highways said that road projects worth over Rs 25,000 crore are being implemented in Meghalaya.
Addressing election rallies in South Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills districts, Gadkari said, “To eradicate poverty and reduce the suffering of people, we have to make good roads and in NE. The Modi government is making roads worth Rs 3 lakh crore, which will be completed by 2024.”
The minister said that the network of road connectivity in the NE has increased by 25 percent since 2014.
“National highway projects worth Rs 4,000 crore are going on in 351 projects in NE,” he said, listing out a number of projects which are nearing completion, and also those which are in the pipeline.
Gadkari also named various road projects undertaken in Meghalaya costing Rs 25,842 crore.
“There are places where there are schools but no teachers; places where there are teachers but no school buildings, and places where there may be both but no students due to lack of road connectivity and other related issues,” he said.
For a place to prosper and develop, industries and businesses are needed, which can only be achieved if there are good sources of water and power, good transport and communication facilities, the minister added.
“For the eradication of poverty, it is absolutely essential that industry and business both grow side by side. In the absence of good infrastructure, we don’t have industry and without industry, we don’t have the potential for growth and employment,” Gadkari said. (PTI)