'Projects worth Rs. 1,000 targeted for completion by 2026 in Assam,' says Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on Monday, reviewed the ongoing projects in Assam and the Northeast with senior officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Public Works Department (PWD), Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
The minister underscored the need to complete the projects on time in line with the broader vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Viksit Bharat.
'Northeast is the topmost priority for PM Narendra Modi, our work in the region must sync with the vision of Viksit Bharat,' Sarbananda Sonowal asserted at the meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, the Union Minister said, 'As per the vision of PM Modi, we are developing robust waterway infrastructure in Assam and the Northeast with projects worth Rs. 1,000 crores on the anvil, targeted for completion by 2026. In last two years, more than Rs. 1,000 crores have been invested, with Rs. 300 crore worth of projects already completed.'
'Following my review of ongoing works in the region, we are on track to complete the remaining Rs. 700 crore projects by the end of 2025. These efforts aim to boost cargo and passenger movement, improve last-mile connectivity, promote economic growth in the Northeast, and align with the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat through sustainable and inclusive transport solutions.' he added
The Union Government is actively developing key infrastructure projects along NW2 (Brahmaputra) and NW16 (Barak), including the construction of passenger vessels of various capacities, terminal facilities, and capacity-building initiatives.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also reviewed progress on the proposed Inland Water Transport (IWT) project at Doyang Lake, and assessed the potential of Noune and Shilloi Lakes in Nagaland for water sports and tourism. Feasibility studies for IWT development on the Tlawng and Chhimtuipui rivers in Mizoram, as well as on Umiam Lake and the Umngot River (NW106) in Meghalaya, were also reviewed.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister Sonowal said, 'Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership, India is steadily moving towards the goal of Viksit Bharat. Assam and the Northeast are central to this progress, with inland waterways playing a vital role. Since 2014, the Modi government has revived this once-neglected mode of transport, especially through the Brahmaputra (NW2) and Barak (NW16) rivers. Schemes like Jalvahak are encouraging businesses to adopt this economical, efficient, and eco-friendly mode, reducing pressure on road and rail, and positioning Assam as a key driver in India's journey towards a self-reliant economy by 2047.'
Reviewing multiple projects ranging from new infrastructure development for capacity enhancement on national waterways to scaling up with skill development initiatives for youth of Assam and the Northeast in the maritime sector, Sonowal emphasised the urgency and the need for optimum utilisation of funds.
Adding further, the minister said, 'Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is building new avenues for the youth of Assam and the Northeast to participate in India's maritime growth. Through institutions like the Maritime Skill Development Centre in Guwahati and the Centre of Excellence for Inland Water Transport in Dibrugarh, we are training a future-ready workforce equipped for inland and global maritime opportunities. These efforts are part of a larger push to skill, empower and employ our youth in logistics, cargo handling, vessel operations and more--especially as we expand infrastructure on NW2 and NW16. The Northeast is not just a gateway to Southeast Asia, but a key contributor to India's journey towards becoming a global maritime leader and achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047,' he added
To further enhance cruise tourism and cargo handling capacity across National Waterways 2 (Brahmaputra) and 16 (Barak), over Rs. 1,500 crores have been earmarked for key projects scheduled to be completed by 2027-28. These include construction of modern jetties equipped with onshore facilities at Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, Neamati Ghat, and Guijan. Additionally, a new building for the Regional Office of the Mercantile Marine Department (MSDC), along with a guest house and office space for ITAT, will be constructed at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati.
Sonowal also noted progress on the proposed Water Metro services in Guwahati and Dhubri, with a Rs. 315 crore investment and two electric catamarans being built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. A Rs. 100 crore cruise terminal in Guwahati and a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) in Dibrugarh worth Rs. 120 crores are also in the pipeline.
Infrastructure along Brahmaputra (NW2) includes five riverine lighthouses at key locations, fairway development between Pandu and Bogibeel with Rs. 150 crores, and procurement of two cutter suction dredgers. The IWAI is implementing Rs. 1,010 crore worth of projects across NW2 and NW16, including terminals at Bogibeel and Jogighopa, and a Rs. 208 crore ship repair facility at Pandu.
On Barak River (NW16), Sonowal reaffirmed that survey and dredging equipment, and floating terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur projects reflect the Modi Government's commitment to making the Northeast a hub of India's maritime future.
To ensure consistent navigability along the Brahmaputra, the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) has been entrusted with maintaining a minimum assured draft of 2.5 meter from the Bangladesh border to Pandu under NW-2 until 2026-27. For this effort, an additional Rs. 191 crores have been sanctioned. These measures are a part of the Union Government's broader initiative to integrate Northeast India into the country's maritime growth trajectory, aligning with the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials from the MoPSW, the IWAI, the CSL and IPRCL among others. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
‘We don't have any compulsion to go for IPO tomorrow'
Bengaluru-based media technology company Amagi, which has initiated an initial public offering (IPO) process recently, is now expanding into Japan, Australia, Latin America, France and Germany. In an interaction with Uma Kannan, Baskar Subramanian, CEO & Co-Founder of Amagi, says they are seeing a tremendous opportunity in front of them for the next 10 years where they can build extremely large media tech company in the world and that they don't have any compulsion to go public tomorrow. The company's annual revenue in FY24 stood at Rs 942 crore. Edited excerpts: You are a media SaaS unicorn and have been in the business for over 15 years now. What does the market look like? Our customers are TV channels, content creators, live producers, sports news, and anybody who is creating content in the mid-tier to large enterprises. We don't work with the creator economy and influencer economy today; we don't have any product portfolio for it, but we work with the larger mid to enterprise sort of customers. Fundamentally, the world is becoming streaming, and all of us are only watching on IP, internet devices, be it on our phone or connected television, what we call smart TV in India. This has changed things for our customers. One, it's fragmentation of viewership. In the early days of cable, you could go to one channel and always watch the content. Now there are so many places where people are consuming content, be it YouTube, Netflix, Prime, social platforms, connected TV devices to everywhere else and this is becoming a big challenge for the broadcasters and TV channels. This is very similar to what happened in the retail industry. Suddenly people are buying in supermarkets, e-commerce stores and now quick commerce. TV is now connected in every home in India. How are you looking at the Indian market? In India, we have clients, and the country has obviously dramatically changed, given 5G connections. Here we work with Samsung, whose many channels are coming to Samsung TV Plus with the back-end being Amagi. We work with the likes of Republic TV, Times Now and Zee television and provide OTT content. India is a growing market and we have now started to expand but the country is only very close to about a percentage (1%) of our revenue. So, we continue to have a big focus on the international markets with 70% revenue coming from the US. However, we are seeing India as a growing market and it will start to become bigger and bigger for us as we go forward. What are the market opportunities that you are seeing, and whether you have competitors in India as well as outside? We started in the US, expanded into Europe, and then in Asia, we started in Singapore. We are now expanding into Japan, Australia, Latin America, France, and Germany. It's a global market and we are seeing a tremendous opportunity in front of us for the next 10 years where we can build an extremely large, world-class media tech company in the world. Amagi's competition is all traditional hardware players. And we are the only company in the world that talks about a glass-to-glass complete end solution. It is reported that you are looking to raise Rs 3,200 crore through a public listing. Are you planning to hit an IPO soon? If we go for an IPO, we'll go in India. Going through the process, understanding and evaluating markets are very different. We don't know when we do it because timing matters in this industry. As a company, we don't have any compulsion to go for an IPO tomorrow. We are a profitable company, we have money in the bank and we have investors who came in 2022. So, the idea is that eventually we will have to be a public company. If the market is really good, then maybe by the end of the year (we will go for the IPO), or else next year.
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Did you know: THIS Bollywood star purchased Vijay Mallya's Goa pad; paid Rs 73 crore for the luxury mansion
Vijay Mallya was back in the news this past week after his team RCB picked up the IPL trophy this season. The big win coupled with nostalgia swirling, attention once again turned to the high-profile assets he once owned, particularly the villa where Goa's most opulent parties unfolded. Among the many reports that resurfaced on the internet was the sale of his sprawling mansion, the iconic Kingfisher Villa in Goa. After the businessman landed into trouble, his plush pad found a new owner in Bollywood actor and entrepreneur Sachiin Joshi . Renamed King's Mansion, the 12,350 sq. ft. sea-facing estate in Candolim was sold in 2017 for Rs 73.01 crore. Interestingly, this paycheque was significantly lower than its original reserve price of over Rs 90 crore. The off-market sale was reportedly finalised through a private treaty, sources confirmed to PTI. This was reportedly acquired after multiple failed auction attempts by banks trying to recover dues from the businessman. 'Secured creditors have the right to go for a private treaty if the auction route fails,' a person familiar with the matter told PTI. Sprawled across a lush three-acre plot, the estate includes landscaped gardens, open-air dance floors, artificial ponds, and private swimming pools. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Windows Users Don't Forget To Do This Before Sunday Read More Undo 'Today is the day I open the gates to the world,' Joshi said in a statement, officially unveiling the property under its new name - King's Mansion. 'The brand connection from King's Beer and the inherent grandeur of the property made the choice clear.' Joshi, who rose to prominence through films like Azaan and Jackpot, is also a businessman with interests in alcohol, hospitality, wellness, and entertainment. His business ventures include King's Beer, a local favourite in Goa—creating a fitting brand extension in the rechristened mansion. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
B'luru stampede: Somanna slams govt, defends suspended top cop
Mysuru: Union minister of state for railways V Somanna on Sunday said even an entire year's state budget cannot compensate for the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium. His remarks came in response to questions from the media regarding the Karnataka govt's revised compensation of Rs 25 lakh per victim, up from the initial Rs 10 lakh. "Even the amount of one full year's state budget cannot compensate for the lives lost in the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium," Somanna said. "Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached the IPL finals after 18 years, and the authorities should have planned accordingly. Unfortunately, the chief minister mishandled the situation. Perhaps, he acted on poor advice from his associates," he added. The minister also criticised the suspension of Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda, calling it unjust. "I've known the work of IPS officer Dayananda for many years. His suspension is unfair, especially when he had no direct role in the stampede. It was a good decision to appoint him as commissioner, and he should be reinstated immediately. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Promoções imperdíveis de voos baratos Voos | Anúncios de Pesquisa Saiba Mais Undo Govt has gone off track, and they must be held accountable for this tragedy," he added. Reflecting on his past association with CM Siddaramaiah, Somanna expressed disappointment over what he described as a shift in leadership style. "I was in the Congress and was very close to Siddaramaiah. I knew him well — he was not like this. Power seems to have changed him. In the Congress party, no other leader in the country has been given the kind of freedom Siddaramaiah enjoys. It looks like he has changed just to survive as chief minister. This is not the Siddaramaiah I once knew," he said. Somanna also spoke about his personal transformation after becoming a Union minister. "In the past year, after becoming minister of railways and observing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's daily routine and work ethic, I've changed myself," he said. "The state govt should take note of how the Prime Minister functions. They should visit Delhi and see his discipline and dedication first hand. I'm deeply impressed by Modi's style of governance," he added.
