Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has assured the state Assembly that the important road connecting Longding district in Arunachal Pradesh with Nokjan in neighbouring Nagaland will be upgraded with financial support from the Centre.
Responding to a question raised during the Assembly session on March 11, Khandu said the road improvement project will be taken up under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF). The proposal has been placed in the priority list for funding from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways during the current financial year.
The issue was raised by Thangwang Wangham during Question Hour in the Assembly. Wangham had pointed out that the road is very important for people living in Longding district and needs urgent improvement.
Khandu informed the House that the total length of the Longding–Nokjan road is around 28.82 kilometres. Out of this, about 9.81 kilometres of the road was earlier taken up for development in 2011 with financial support from the North Eastern Council.
He said the remaining portion of the road is now under different agencies. Nearly 7 kilometres fall under National Highway 215, while about 12 kilometres are under the state Rural Works Department. The remaining stretch is maintained by the state Public Works Department.
The chief minister also told the Assembly that around 22 kilometres of the road, excluding the national highway portion, has been proposed for improvement under the CRIF scheme. The estimated cost for upgrading this stretch is around Rs 60 crore.
According to Khandu, the Public Works Department (PWD) division in Longding has already carried out technical inspections and field assessments of the road. Based on these assessments, the estimated project details have been submitted to the Director (Project Coordinator) of the state Planning and Investment Department for further processing.
Earlier, Wangham had told the Assembly that the road acts as a crucial lifeline for people living in Longding district. The road also serves as an important connection between the Wangsu community of Arunachal Pradesh and the Konyak tribe living across the border in Nagaland.
He said improving the road will make travel easier for residents, improve connectivity between the two states and help in the movement of goods and essential supplies.
