The Mizoram government has sought the Centre’s intervention for early completion of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, a bilateral project of India and Myanmar, under the ambitious Act East policy, official sources said on Thursday.
The sources said chief minister Zoramthanga called on Union external affairs ministry foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on Wednesday and asked him to expedite the construction of the project. He urged the Centre to take an initiative for early completion of the project, a source said.
Zoramthanga told Harsh Vardhan about the need to prioritise the northeastern states as they are gateways under the Act East policy. He spoke of the importance of strengthening Indo-Myanmar ties and facilitating cross-border trade between Mizoram and Myanmar, official sources said.
The project aims to connect both the countries by sea and road routes.The construction of the road in Mizoram began in 2010 by two companies — RDS Project Ltd and Odissa-based Atlanta ARSS (JV).
State PWD officials said more than 82 per cent of work has been completed. Though the project is scheduled to be completed by March this year , it can get delayed due to a compensation row.
The Lawngtlai District Land Owners’ Association, an umbrella association of landowners along the cross-border road in Lawngtlai district, had served a stay order to the two constructing agencies on January 13 after the state government allegedly cancelled the detailed project reports for compensation amounting to more than Rs 50 crore. The stay order, however, was revoked on January 14.
The association, in a meeting on Wednesday, said it would intensify the demand for immediate release of compensation to about 303 landowners and threatened an indefinite strike from March if the government failed to meet its demand. Launched by the erstwhile UPA government in 2008, the project when completed will first link Calcutta to Sittwe seaport in Myanmar across the Bay of Bengal, a distance of 539km.
From Sittwe, the route will continue over the Kaladan to the western Myanmarese town of Paletwa, which will be connected to the India-Myanmar border by a 110km road.
The international border will be connected by road with southernmost Mizoram’s Lawngtlai town 87.18km away where National Highway 54 passes by.
