Centre would implement a massive project to lay a four-lane road facility over a 10,000 km stretch in the northeastern states during the next financial year, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan today said.
"This would be an extraordinary infrastructure development," he told reporters here.
Highlighting the achievements of the BJP-led NDA government during its one year in office, he said the Centre was of the firm view that all states should get balanced attention.
As part of this objective, the government was giving more attention for the development of northeastern states, he said, adding, all central ministers should visit these states at least thrice a year to ensure their development.
"As far as my ministry is concerned, we have drawn up a plan to provide massive infrastructure development in NE states by laying four-lane road facility. The total stretch would be ten thousand kms and investment would be Rs 10 crore per kilometre of road," he said.
He dismissed as "baseless and untrue" the Congress charge that the NDA government had jettisoned the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
"The government had earmarked Rs 40,000 crore for the NREGA scheme which is also aimed at deepening water bodies and creating facilities for farmers," he said.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's financial inclusion scheme has been lauded "as a record achievement" by the World Bank president, the minister said, "The Jan Dhan Yojana has in a short period witnessed opening of 15 crore bank accounts since it was launched in August last and about Rs 16,000 crore has been deposited."
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen about linking common and marginalised sections of the society with banks, and formulation of three mega social security insurance schemes launched recently is a proof of the concern the PM has for the common man," he said.
He also recalled how Modi had made it clear during his visit to Sri Lanka that the Tamils should not only be assured of their rights but more importantly they should be "treated with dignity".
The initiative taken by the Prime Minister was responsible for saving five fishermen from Tamil Nadu from the gallows, he claimed.
