Guwahati, Aug. 26: Northeast’s road network, marked by “insufficient coverage and poor geometrics”, is ready to receive a Rs $200-million balm from the Asian Development Bank.

A source said the bank’s board approval under the North Eastern States Roads Investment Programme is expected by November for developing 540-km network of roads.

Two roads in Assam — Kalitakuchi to Barpeta (58.5km) and Bilasipara to Fakiragram (16.2km) — will be taken up in the first part of the project.

The bank has asked the Assam PWD to look for consultants, both international and local, for the project. Assam is already a focal state for the ADB.

“Overall, there will be no private land acquisition, but there will be minor impact on roadside structures and businesses who are squatters or encroachers,” a bank report said on the social and environmental issues concerning the project.

The affected households will be entitled to compensation for the loss of structure, shifting costs and other income restoration assistance.

The bank report on the project says with the exception of national highways that are maintained by the central organisations, the road network in the region is extremely poor.

“Insufficient coverage, weak and rough pavement conditions, poor geometrics because of the terrain, narrow pavements, submersible stretches, poor riding quality, weak, distressed and semi-permanent timber bridges characterise the state road network,” it says.

The concept of the project was cleared in November 2005 and the appraisal was done in May 2007.

The ministry for Development of North Eastern Region will be responsible for the overall co-ordination of the programme.

It will establish a project management unit led by a senior ministry official, who will be the project director for the overall investment programme.