PM inaugurates Sela tunnel, dedicates projects worth ₹55000 cr to six NE states

Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several projects for six northeastern states valued at nearly Rs.55,0000 crore at an event held in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar.

The event was attended by chief minister Pema Khand, governor KT Parnaik and Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who represents the West Arunachal seat in Lok Sabha.

Among the projects inaugurated is the strategically important Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh built by the Border Roads Organisation at a cost of Rs.825 crore. It is the world’s longest twin-lane tunnel built at an altitude of above 13,000 feet.

The PM inaugurated the Sela tunnel by flagging off an Arunachal Pradesh State Transport bus that went through it.

“Sela Tunnel could have been built earlier. But Congress’s thinking and priorities were something else. They used to think what’s the need to spend so much on an area (Arunachal Pradesh) which has just two parliamentary seats. Modi doesn’t work by counting the number of parliamentary members. I work keeping the nation’s necessities in mind,” Modi said.

The tunnel will help boost the movement of soldiers, equipment and heavy vehicles to forward areas near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector. The Sela project consists of Tunnel 1, which is 1,003 metres long, and Tunnel 2, a 1,595-metre twin tube tunnel.

Addressing a public meeting at Itanagar, the PM blamed previous Congress governments for failing to focus on the development of the northeastern regions.

“In the past, when they should have made modern infrastructure in our border, the Congress government were busy with corruption. By keeping our border and border villages underdeveloped, Congress was playing with the security of the country,” Modi said.

“Keeping your own army weak and denying basic facilities to own people is the way of working by Congress, their policy and ideal,” he added.

Modi said that the amount of investment his government has made for the development of the northeast in the past five years is nearly four times more than what previous Congress governments used to do.

The slew of projects launched and foundation stones laid are related to multiple sectors, including rail, road, health, housing, education, border infrastructure, IT, power, oil and gas, and others.

The other projects dedicated by the PM include the groundbreaking ceremony of the 2880 MW Dibang multipurpose hydropower project, the highest dam structure in India, which will be built at a cost of Rs.31,876 crore.

“In the past 10 years, we have sealed around a dozen peace deals (with militant outfits) and solved border disputes (between states of the region). Now the next step to development is to boost industries in the northeast,” said the PM while inaugurating the Rs.10,000 crore UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization) scheme,” Modi said.

The PM also launched UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme), a new industrial development scheme for the northeast. The scheme worth Rs.10,000 crore is expected to attract new investment, help set up new manufacturing and services units and give a boost to employment.

The PM also virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth Rs.3,400 cr in Manipur, Rs.1,700 crore in Nagaland, Rs.290 crore in Meghalaya, Rs.450 crore in Sikkim and Rs.8,500 crore in Tripura, including the Sabroom Land Port located along the international border between India and Bangladesh.

For Tripura, Modi laid the foundation stones for the construction of the Agartala Western Bypass and multiple road projects in the state, a new depot of Indian Oil Corporation at Sekerkote including an Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for drug addicts.

He also launched projects of 146,000 rural household tap connections, Land Port at Sabroom in South District worth Rs.230 crores. The foundation stone of the Sabroom Land Port was laid in 2021.

Located along the India-Bangladesh international border, the newly-developed Sabroom Land Port will include facilities such as a passenger terminal building, cargo administrative building, fire station building, warehouse, pump house, electrical substation etc.

The virtual event was attended by Tripura chief minister Manik Saha.

“A historic day for Tripura! Glad to witness the virtual inauguration & foundation stone laying of development projects worth Rs.8534.02 crore by Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji. The event included opening of Sabroom Land Port in South Tripura, which will facilitate movement of people and enhance the connectivity, trade & tourism between NE Region & Bangladesh. Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble PM, these projects will script a new chapter of development towards the goal of #ViksitBharatViksitTripura”, wrote on X.

PM Modi had arrived in Assam on Friday evening and spent the night at a guest house in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). He did a two-hour safari on an elephant and jeep inside the park famed for one-horned rhinos before departing for Arunachal Pradesh.

On Saturday afternoon, the PM is set to return to Assam and take part in two events, including inaugurating the 125-foot tall statue of legendary Ahom general Lachit Borphukan at Jorhat. The PM will also address a public rally at Meleng Meteli where he will inaugurate several projects valued at nearly Rs. 18,000 crore undertaken by the central and state government.

Source: HT