Nitin Gadkari on foundation stone laying spree in poll bound Assam, Tarun Gogoi questions where is the DPR

GUWAHATI: In poll bound Assam, Union minister for Road transport, highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari on Saturday announced that his ministry will invest close to Rs 25,000 Crore in two to three years for development of National highways (NHs) in Assam.

Gadkari who was in Assam on Saturday declared around 624km of new highway will be added in the state.

On Saturday Gadkari laid foundation stone of two bridges over river Brahmaputra. He said that Pandu port in Guwahati will now have ship repairing facility and an amount of Rs 50 Crore is sanctioned for the project.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi however expressed surprise that Gadkari went about laying the foundation stone of two bridges connecting Sivasagar and North Lakhimpur via Desangmukh, Dhakhukhana and another connecting Jorhat and North Lakhimpur via Majuli without preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

Gogoi said that the foundation stone laying of the two bridges by Union Minister in the State without preparing the DPRs has exposed that the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre is out to hoodwink the people with an eye on the upcoming Assembly election. "I have never seen a Central Government like the present one of going out with foundation stone laying spree without preparing the DPRs. They are out to hoodwink the people with an eye on the elections."

Gogoi questioned how come the project cost for the two massive bridges across the Brahmaputra could be estimated without preparing the DPRs that include feasibility report.

The Chief Minister said that though the Central Ministers, including the Prime Minister have made over 200 trips to Assam in the past 19 months, nothing concrete has emerged so far. “The Central Ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making a beeline to the State trying to give one the impression that the present dispensation at the Centre has a soft corner towards Assam and the North East Region."