Centre plans to give Rs 25,000-30,000 crore for road development to West Bengal

HALDIA: Centre is planning to give Rs 25,000-30,000 crore bonanza for road infrastructure to West Bengal.

"We want to give another Rs 25,000-30,000 crore to West Bengal for new highways," Union minister for Roads and Transport Nitin Gadkari said today at an event at Biodiesel dispensing unit at Haldia Dock Complex.

"We want to add another 2000 km in national highway in the state. The state has 2000 km of highways currently," Gadkari said.

The minister said he was planning to meet the chief minister Mamata Banerjee and urge her to give suggestions and proposals for the same.

This investment plan is in addition to the existing Rs 6000 crore road development proposals announced last December.

The proposal comes in wake of SAARC road connectivity plan of India. Gadkari had mooted seamless road connectivity between India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. A Motor Vehicles Agreement signed on behalf of India, will enable seamless movement of people and goods across the borders for the economic benefit of the entire region.

Gadkari also launched land management system, VTMS and handing over land for Haldia inland waterways multimodal hub besides inaugurating a flyover at Ranichak near dock for easy flow of vehicles.

Gadkari said the floating storage unit will be operational at Haldia by 2017.

The minister also called for transparency in the functioning of the port and urged the workers to work sincerely to stay profitable.

"Centre will not continue to fund the port. You have to stay profitable otherwise you will have to suffer," Gadkari said.

Replying to a question he said, he had advised the port authorities to attempt for an out of court settlement for settlement of legal hurdle with Haldia Bulk Terminals.