Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday performed 'bhoomi pujan' of 120 MW Lower Kopili Hydro Electric Project at Longku, Dima Hasao and she was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Power Minister Bimal Bora.
On her one day visit the Union Minister also announced a new three km long four-lane bridge on Brahmaputra river in Kamrup district, an Externally Aided Project (EAP) by New Development Bank. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 3094 crore.
Sitharaman said, "The bridge will decongest the city of Guwahati and increase transport efficiency, thus cutting down travel time for daily commuters from the adjoining districts of Nalbari and Barpeta travelling to Guwahati," adding, "The project will help in reducing the river bank erosion in Sualkuchi and Palasbari and bring about improving transportation efficiency towards economic development of Assam".
Chief Minister Dr. Sarma thanked the Union Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending their support to the state in implementation of "ambitious externally aided projects".
"Grateful to Hon PM Sri @narendramodi for helping Assam with ambitious externally aided projects. Out of total project cost of Rs 2200 cr, Rs 1700 cr has been provided by GoI," he tweeted.
Commenting on the Hydro Electric Project, Dr. Sarma tweeted, "The project will increase electricity supply from clean energy by 469 GWh by 2025 and reduce greenhouse gas emission by 360K tons annually".
Taking to Twitter, the Chief Minister announced that Assam government will spend Rs 900 crore for building roads in Dima Hasao and Rs 250 crore will be spent for construction of Umrongso-Lanka road within 9 months.
"Improved road infrastructure will greatly facilitate tourist footfall in the region and drive economic growth," he tweeted.
In this connection, the Union Minister laid the foundation stone of upgradation work of 90 km road from Halflong Tinali to Lower Haflong under Asian Development Bank aided Assam Road Network Improvement Project (ARNIP) today
"It will improve road infrastructure in Dima Hasao's Haflong, Umrongso & other regions," the minister said.
Sitharaman also reviewed the construction work of the the 8.4 km 6-Lane extra dosed bridge over Brahmaputra river connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati.
She also launched the Right to Public Service (RTPS) portal as part of the World Bank funded Assam's Citizen-Centric Service Delivery Project
"Assam's Citizen-Centric Service Delivery Project seeks to improve access in the delivery of selected public services in the state. It also seeks to enable citizens to access services under the state's Right to Public Services in a timely, efficient and accountable manner," Sitharaman's office tweeted.