Wednesday, July 11, 2012

ADB & GOI signed $ 74.8 million loans for NE Roads

India’s North Eastern Region to see better Road Connectivity through ADB Loan Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $74.8 million loan to improve connectivity with the north eastern region of the country.

The loan constitutes the first tranche of the North Eastern State Roads Investment Program, a $200 million multi-tranche finance facility (MFF), expected to be executed in two tranches. Under the facility, a total of 433.7 km roads would be improved/upgraded/ constructed in six states- Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

This will be ADB’s first Transport sector project in NE region to develop and implement road investments that follow widely-recognized best practices in engineering design, pre-construction activities and project management. The program envisages enhanced and Information Technology based capacity development of the state implementing agencies / PWDs for improved road asset management, planning and project management. A road safety programme has also been incorporated with coordinated engineering, enforcement and education components.

The 1st tranche, which was signed, will improve around 200 kilometers of road in the isolated states of Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim. Improvements will include widening of existing sections of roads, strengthening pavements, raising embankments, and providing permanent structures at river crossings.

The signatories to the loan were Mr. Venu Rajamony, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; and Mr. Hun Kim, Country Director for India, on behalf of ADB. The project agreements were signed by Mr. P.R. Meshram, Director in the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region and Commissioners and Secretaries of the states of Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim.

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