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PM lays foundation stone, inaugurates and dedicates to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs. 2450 crores in Shillong, Meghalaya

Published By : Admin | December 18, 2022 | 11:15 IST
“The government has shown the red card to all obstacles that come in the way of development of the North East”
“The day is not far when India will organise such a world cup tournament and every Indian will also cheer for our team”
“Development is not limited to budgets, tenders, laying foundation stones and inaugurations”
“The transformation that we witness today is a result of the change in our intentions, resolutions, priorities and our work culture”
“Central government is spending Rs 7 lakh crore only on infrastructure this year, while 8 years ago this expenditure was less than Rs 2 lakh crore”
“A budget of Rs 6,000 crore has been fixed for the next 3-4 years under PM-DevINE”
“The development of tribal areas is the priority of the government while maintaining tradition, language and culture of the tribal society”
“The previous government had a ‘divide’ approach for the North East but our government has come up with ‘DevINE’ intentions”

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone, and inaugurated and dedicated to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs. 2450 crores in Shillong, Meghalaya today. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister attended the meeting of the North Eastern Council at the State Convention Centre in Shillong and participated in its golden jubilee celebrations.

The multiple projects include the inauguration of 320 completed and 890 under construction 4G mobile towers, the new campus of IIM Shillong, at Umsawli, the Shillong – Diengpasoh Road which will provide better connectivity to new Shillong satellite township and four other roads projects across the three states viz. Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Spawn Laboratory at Mushroom Development Center and Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre in Meghalaya and 21 Hindi libraries in Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Assam. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of six road projects across the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. He also laid the foundation stone of the Integrated Hospitality and Convention Centre at Tura and Shillong Technology Park Phase -II.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that Meghalaya is a state that is prosperous in nature and culture and this very prosperity is reflected through the warmth and welcoming nature of the people. He congratulated the citizens of Meghalaya for the numerous upcoming and newly inaugurated projects ranging from connectivity, education, skill and employment for further development in the state.

The Prime Minister drew everyone’s attention to the coincidence that the public function of today is taking place on a football field at the time when the football world cup is going on. “On the one hand, there is football competition going on, while here we are leading the competition of development in the football field. Even though the football world cup is taking place in Qatar, the enthusiasm of the people here is no less”, he remarked. Drawing an analogy to the red card shown in football to a person who goes against the sportsman spirit, the Prime Minister remarked that the government has shown the red card to all the obstacles that come in the way of the development of North East. “Be it corruption, discrimination, nepotism, violence or vote-bank politics to disrupt the development in the region, we are working with dedication and honesty to uproot all these evils”, he remarked. The Prime Minister pointed out that even though such evils are deeply rooted, we have to work towards eliminating each one of them. He further added that the efforts of the government are showing positive results.

Throwing light on the emphasis on sports development, the Prime Minister highlighted that the central government is moving forward with a new approach and its benefits can be clearly seen in the North Eastern regions as well. He informed that apart from India’s first sports university, the North Eastern region is well equipped with multiple infrastructures like multipurpose hall, football field and athletics track. He further added that work is underway on ninety such projects. The Prime Minister said with assurance that even though we are looking at the international teams playing in the football world cup in Qatar, he firmly believes in the power of the youth and remarked that the day is not far when India will organise such a momentous tournament and every Indian will also cheer for our team that will take part in it.

“Development is not limited to budget, tenders, laying foundation stones and inaugurations”, the Prime Minister continued as he stated that such was the norm even before 2014, “the transformation that we witness today is a result of the change in our intentions, resolutions, priorities and our work culture. The results can be seen in our processes.” The Prime Minister elaborated, “The resolution is to build a developed India with modern infrastructure, modern connectivity. The intention is to connect every region and section of India with the objective of rapid development through Sabka Prayas (everyone’s efforts). The priority is to remove deprivation, reduce distances, engage in capacity building, and give more opportunities to the youth. And the change in work culture signifies that every project and programme be completed within the time limit.” The Prime Minister informed that the central government is spending Rs 7 lakh crore only on infrastructure this year, while 8 years ago this expenditure was less than Rs 2 lakh crore. He also pointed out that states are competing within themselves when it comes to boosting infrastructure.

Giving examples of infrastructural developments in the North East, the Prime Minister highlighted the fast-paced work to connect all the capitals of the North East including Shillong with rail service and the increase in number of weekly flights from 900 before 2014 to 1900 today. The Prime Minister informed that under the UDAN scheme, flights are on 16 routes in Meghalaya and the result is cheap airfares for the people of Meghalaya. Highlighting the benefits to the farmers of Meghalaya and North East, the Prime Minister informed that the fruits and vegetables grown here are easily accessible to the markets of the country and abroad through the Krishi Udaan scheme.

The Prime Minister drew everyone’s attention to the connectivity projects that have been inaugurated today and informed that 5 thousand crore rupees have been spent on the construction of the National Highway in Meghalaya in the last 8 years while the number of rural roads built in the last 8 years under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana in Meghalaya is seven times more than what was built in the previous 20 years.

Talking about the increasing digital connectivity for the youth of the Northeast, the Prime Minister informed that optical fibre coverage has increased 4 times in the Northeast and 5 times in Meghalaya when compared to 2014. He further added that 6 thousand mobile towers are being erected to take mobile connectivity to every part of the region with an outlay of 5 thousand crores. “This infrastructure will give new opportunities to the youth of Meghalaya” the Prime Minister emphasised. Regarding education infrastructure, the Prime Minister commented that with IIM and the technology park education, earning opportunities will increase in the region. He also informed that Northeast is witnessing the construction of more than 150 Eklavya schools out of which 39 are in Meghalaya.

The Prime Minister gave the example of the Parvatmala Scheme which is building a network of ropeways and the PM DevINE scheme which is going to give a new impetus to the development of North East by ensuring easy approval of big development projects. He added, “A budget of Rs 6,000 crore has been fixed for the next 3-4 years under PM-Divine.”

Reflecting on the ‘divide’ approach of the previous ruling governments for the North East, the Prime Minister remarked that our government has come up with ‘divine’ intentions. “Be it different communities, or different regions, we are removing all kinds of divisions. Today, in the North East, we are laying emphasis on building corridors of development, not borders of disputes” he said. The Prime Minister observed that in the last 8 years, many organisations have shunned the path of violence and have taken refuge in permanent peace. Speaking about the needlessness for AFSPA in the North East, the Prime Minister remarked that the conditions are constantly improving with the help of the state governments while boundary disputes between the states which were going on for decades are being resolved.

The Prime Minister said that the Northeast is a gateway to security and prosperity instead of just a border area at the frontier. The Prime Minister elaborated on the vibrant village scheme under which border villages are being provided with better facilities. The Prime Minister lamented that due to the fear of benefiting the enemy, the border areas did not witness the spread of connectivity. “Today we are boldly building new roads, new tunnels, new bridges, new railway lines, and airstrips on the border. Desolated border villages are being turned vibrant. The speed needed for our cities is needed for our border too.” The Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister recalled his meeting with His Holiness the Pope and said that both the leaders discussed the challenges being faced by humanity today and arrived at a consensus for a concerted effort to meet them. ‘We need to strengthen this sentiment’, the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting the politics of peace and development adopted by the government, the Prime Minister said that the biggest beneficiary of this is our tribal society. The development of tribal areas is the priority of the government while maintaining the tradition, language and culture of the tribal society. Giving the example of abolishing the ban on bamboo harvesting, the Prime Minister informed that it gave impetus to the manufacture of tribal products associated with bamboo. “850 Van Dhan Kendras have been established in the North East for value addition in the produce obtained from forests. Many self-help groups are associated with them, many of which belong to our sisters”, he informed.

Shri Modi said that social infrastructure like houses, water and electricity have massively benefited the Northeast. In the past few years, 2 lakh new households received electricity connection. More than 70 thousand houses were approved for the poor and 3 lakh households got piped water connections. “Our tribal families were the biggest beneficiaries of these schemes,” he said.

Concluding his address, the Prime Minister wished for continued pace of the region’s development and credited the blessing of the people as the base of all energy that is being put into the development of the Northeast. He conveyed his best wishes for the upcoming Christmas.

Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad K Sangama, Governor of Meghalaya, Brig (Dr.) B D Mishra (Retd), Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Union Ministers Shri G Kishan Reddy, Shri Kiren Rijiju and Sarbanada Sonowal, Union Minister of State, Shri B L Verma, Chief Minister of Manipur, Shri N Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Mizoram, Shri Zoramthanga, Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Nagaland, Shri Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu and Chief Minister of Tripura, Shri Manik Saha were those present on occasion.

Background

In a step which will further boost telecom connectivity in the region, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation 4G mobile towers, of which more than 320 have been completed and around 890 are under construction. He inaugurated the New Campus of IIM Shillong at Umsawli. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Shillong – Diengpasoh Road, which will provide better connectivity to new Shillong satellite township and decongest Shillong. He also inaugurated four other road projects across three states viz. Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Spawn Laboratory at Mushroom Development Center in Meghalaya to enhance mushroom spawn production and also provide skill training for farmers and entrepreneurs. He also inaugurated the Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre in Meghalaya to improve the livelihood of beekeeping farmers through capacity building and technology upgradation. He further inaugurated 21 Hindi libraries in Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Assam.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of six road projects across the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. He also laid the foundation stone of the Integrated Hospitality and Convention Centre at Tura and Shillong Technology Park Phase -II. The Technology Park Phase -II will have a built-up area of about 1.5 lakh square feet. It will provide new opportunities for professionals and is expected to create more than 3000 jobs. The Integrated Hospitality and Convention Centre will have a convention hub, guest rooms, food court etc. It will provide the necessary infrastructure for promoting tourism and showcasing cultural heritage in the region.

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Cabinet approves Rs 1,526.21 crore upgrade of NH-326 in Odisha
December 31, 2025

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the widening and strengthening of existing 2-Lane to 2-Lane with Paved Shoulder from Km 68.600 to Km 311.700 of NH-326 in the State of Odisha under NH(O) on EPC mode.

Financial implications:

The total capital cost for the project is Rs.1,526.21 crore, which includes a civil construction cost of Rs.966.79 crore.

Benefits:

The upgradation of NH-326 will make travel faster, safer, and more reliable, resulting in overall development of southern Odisha, particularly benefiting the districts of Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput. Improved road connectivity will directly benefit local communities, industries, educational institutions, and tourism centres by enhancing access to markets, healthcare, and employment opportunities, thereby contributing to the region’s inclusive growth.

Details:

  • The section of Mohana–Koraput of the National Highway (NH-326) at present have sub-standard geometry (intermediate lane/2-lane, many deficient curves and steep gradients); the existing road alignment, carriageway width and geometric deficiencies constrain safe, efficient movement of heavy vehicles and reduce freight throughput to coastal ports and industrial centres. These constraints will be removed by upgrading the corridor to 2-lane with paved shoulders with geometric corrections (curve realignments and gradient improvements), removal of black spots and pavement strengthening, enabling safe and uninterrupted movement of goods and passengers and reducing vehicle operating costs.
  • The upgradation will provide direct and improved connectivity from Mohana–Koraput into major economic and logistics corridors — linking with NH-26, NH-59, NH-16 and the Raipur–Visakhapatnam corridor and improving last-mile access to Gopalpur port, Jeypore airport and several railway stations. The corridor connects important industrial and logistic nodes (JK Paper, Mega Food Park, NALCO, IMFA, Utkal Alumina, Vedanta, HAL) and education/tourism hubs (Central University of Odisha, Koraput Medical College, Taptapani, Rayagada), thereby facilitating faster freight movement, reducing travel time and enabling regional economic development.
  • The project lies in southern Odisha (districts of Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput) and will significantly improve intra-state and inter-state connectivity by making vehicle movement faster and safer, stimulating industrial and tourism growth and improving access to services in aspirational and tribal areas. Economic analysis shows the project’s EIRR at 17.95% (base case) while the financial return (FIRR) is negative (-2.32%), reflecting the social and non-market benefits captured in the economic appraisal; the economic justification is driven largely by travel-time and vehicle-operating-cost savings and safety benefits (including an estimated travel-time saving of about 2.5–3.0 hours and a distance saving of ~12.46 km between Mohana and Koraput after geometric improvements).

Implementation strategy and targets:

  • The work will be implemented on EPC mode. Contractors will be required to adopt proven construction and quality-assurance technologies, which may include precast box-type structures and precast drains, precast RCC/PSC girders for bridges and grade separators, precast crash barriers and friction slabs on Reinforced-Earth wall portions, and Cement Treated Sub-Base (CTSB) in pavement layers. Quality and progress will be verified through specialized survey and monitoring tools such as Network Survey Vehicle (NSV), periodic drone-mapping. Day-to-day supervision will be carried out by an appointed Authority Engineer and project monitoring will be conducted through the Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS).
  • The work is targeted to be completed in 24 months from the appointed date for each package, followed by a five-year defect liability/maintenance period (total contract engagement envisaged as 7 years: 2 years construction + 5 years DLP). Contract award will follow after completion of statutory clearances and required land possession.

Major impact, including employment generation potential:

  • This project is aimed at providing faster and safer movement of traffic and improving connectivity between the southern and eastern parts of Odisha, particularly linking the districts of Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput with the rest of the State and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The improved road network will facilitate industrial growth, promote tourism, enhance access to education and healthcare facilities, and contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the tribal and backward regions of southern Odisha.
  • Various activities undertaken during the construction and maintenance period are expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers. The project will also boost local industries involved in the supply of construction materials, transportation, equipment maintenance, and related services, thus supporting the regional economy.
  • The project is located in the State of Odisha and traverses three districts — Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput. The corridor connects major towns such as Mohana, Rayagada, Laxmipur, and Koraput, providing improved intra-state connectivity within Odisha and enhancing inter-state linkage with Andhra Pradesh through the southern end of NH-326.

Background:

Government has declared the stretch “the Highway starting from its junction with NH-59 near Aska, passing through Mohana, Raipanka, Amalabhata, Rayagada, Laxmipur and terminating at its junction with NH-30 near Chinturu in the State of Odisha” as NH-326 vide Gazette Notification dated 14th August 2012.