Sonowal assigns top priority to critical projects in Northeast, wants completion by January

Sonowal chaired a meeting of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Ministry of Ayush (MoA) to review the ongoing projects of both ministries in the Northeast region in Guwahati on Tuesday.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal assigned top priority to complete critical projects of the Northeast by January 2024. Sonowal chaired a meeting of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Ministry of Ayush (MoA) to review the ongoing projects of both ministries in the Northeast region in Guwahati on Tuesday.

During the review, senior officials of MoPSW and MoA presented the status of ongoing projects in the region. More than Rs 1100 crores were granted for the development of 25 projects in inland waterways in the Northeast region including Rs 850 crores for 15 projects in Assam. The Union Minister directed the officials to complete the seven floating jetties at Jogighopa, Pandu, Biswanath, Nimati, Bindhakata, Uriamghat, and Sadiya. In addition, permanent jetties at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, and renovation of the Jetty at Badarpur in Karimganj are also to be completed. One permanent jetty being constructed at Sonamura in Tripura is likely to be completed also.

Union Minister Sonowal also reviewed the progress of work on 15 floating jetties in Brahmaputra and 15 jetties in the Barak River. To ensure the smooth passage of ships, he directed the officials of IWAI (Inland Waterways Authority of India) to regularly dredge 88 shallow passages on the Brahmaputra already identified. The recent spurt in cargo and tourist jetties will be maintained with this initiative. Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, "Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministries of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush have been working towards realising rich opportunities of Northeast India to make it the engine of India's economic growth."

"Today, we had a very fruitful review meeting with the top officials of both the ministries regarding progress of critical projects in the Northeast. Taking Modi ji's vision of Transformation via Transportation forward, we have identified critical projects in the region that will be operational by January 2024," he added. "We have identified the projects and set a timeframe for the competition of each project by this timeline. Out of the six projects in inland waterways, seven floating jetting on Brahmaputra, a permanent jetty at Bogibeel, a permanent jetty at Sonamura in Tripura, a floating jetty at Bogibeel and Pandu and renovations of the jetty at Badarpur will be completed. We are committed to the launch of these projects, worth Rs150 crores, by January 2024," Sonowal said.

The Ministry of Ayush is currently constructing projects worth Rs 286 crores across the Northeast. The Minister directed the officials to scale up and speed up the projects. The foundation stones laying ceremony of a Yoga and Naturopathy hospital worth Rs 80.66 crores in Dibrugarh and for the new building of the Regional Research Institute of Homoeopathy (RRIH) and Integrated Ayush Wellness Centre at Guwahati worth Rs 34.33 crores to be done by January 2024.

He also directed to completion of the G+3 and G+2 buildings at Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI) in Guwahati, with an investment of Rs10.45 crores, to be inaugurated by December 2023. "Ayush is a major area of interest for our government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Northeast has a rich potential to do much more in this sector. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi ji, we have been able to identify and start our work on multiple projects," Sonowal said.

"Scaling up and speeding up is important to realise the optimum potential of the Ayush sector in the Northeast. Out of at least nine construction projects currently undergoing in the region, we expect concrete movement in at least three projects; that is, the inauguration of expansion at CARI, Guwahati, the foundation stone at Yoga and Naturopathy Hospital in Dibrugarh, and the foundation stone of permanent complex of Regional Research Institute of Homoeopathy and Integrated Ayush centre at Azara in Guwahati by January 2024," he added. The Union Minister was also appraised about the current ongoing projects like Ayush Health & Wellness centres in the region. With a total approved 830 AHWCs in the region, more than 495 centres have become operational.

More than 33 integrated Ayush hospitals (IAH) have been approved in the region out of which 09 are already functional. A total of eight Ayush education institutions (UG and PG) are being supported by the Ministry. Three new Ayush institutes- for Sowa Rigpa in Gangtok, for Homoeopathy in Keirao, Manipur and one in Dudhnoi - have been approved. In 2022-23, more than 155 Ayush dispensaries were approved, with more than 100 in Assam. (ANI)

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