Dibrugarh, July 22: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said his government and the Centre have made road infrastructure a priority.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of three roads here today, the chief minister said: "For better connectivity in the Northeast, road infrastructure is very important and the BJP governments at the Centre and state are giving more priority to develop roads. Dibrugarh and Tinsukia will play a important role in this regard."
The three roads are from Graham Bazar Tinali (NH37) to Assam Medical College and Hospital (3.1km), the Dibrugarh-Rangagora-Tinsukia road (2.30km) and one from Jalan bus terminus to Amolapatty (5.84km) at a total cost of Rs 4,744.8 lakh from the Central Road Fund (CRF).
"The road from Graham Bazar Tinali to AMCH has big potholes and the patients have to suffer a lot,'' Amitabh Dutta, an elderly citizen, said.
Sonowal said his government has constructed 950km roads across the state in the past year and is planning to construct another 9,000km of roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. "Road connectivity is important for the development of the state and the government is serious on this,'' he said.
The chief minister said his government was building robust and modern infrastructure to attract potential investors and also develop trade links with South Asian countries under the Centre's Act East policy with Guwahati being the gateway to Southeast Asia.
Sonowal said coordination and teamwork are needed for better quality of work. "Every department should work in a coordinated manner for better quality work under different government schemes. There should also be good relations between the contractor and the engineer."
Sonowal said his government had announced Rs 2,000 crore funds in this year's budget for replacing bamboo bridges with RCC bridges.
Diburgarh, Lahowal, Tinsukia, Digboi, Tingkhong and Moran legislators Prasanta Phukan, Rituparna Baruah, Sanjay Kishan, Suren Phukan, Bimal Borah and Chakradhar Gogoi and Dibrugarh deputy commissioner Laya Madduri were present.
