In a bid to improve Assam’s water transportation in Brahmaputra and Barak rivers and improve trade across Northeast India, the Central government is likely to spend Rs 3,000 on various projects.
Union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways Mansukh L Mandaviya and Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a virtual discussion to improve water transports.
“The Union Minister shared a detailed framework of a nearly Rs 3,000 crore project for improving navigability, transportation, trade and commerce of the rivers Brahmaputra and Barak, the national waterways 2 and 16,” said an official statement.
The move would improve institutional capacity and existing framework of water transportation in the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to achieve scalable height in trade and commerce, the statement added.
Assuring total cooperation from the Assam government, Sonowal said once fully implemented, the entire 891-km stretch of the Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri, and Barak would receive new lease of life in providing gateways to neighbouring countries which would also catapult to the success of the ‘Act-East Policy’.
Mandaviya said that true to the spirit of the Central government for the development of Assam and other northeastern states under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the multi-crore project would encompass all critical areas like development of multimodal logistic hubs with last-mile connectivity, passenger and cargo terminals, and construction of new jetties, among others.