East-West Corridor may be completed by 2009: Baalu

The East-West Corridor is likely to be substantially completed by 2009, Thiru T.R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, said on Tuesday.

New Delhi, Sep11 : The East-West Corridor is likely to be substantially completed by 2009, Thiru T.R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, said on Tuesday.

The East-West Corridor passes through Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat,

Addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee Meeting of his Ministry, Baalu said that on completion, the corridor would facilitate all round economic development and employment opportunity of these States.

"The main problems affecting the progress have been the delay in disbursement of compensation for land acquisition in Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh," he added.

He also said there has been some delay in Uttar Pradesh because of the State Government's rider of providing a ten-metre wide strip of land for afforestation before allowing tree cutting.

He assured Committee members that these issues were being pursued.

Giving details about the progress of the East-West Corridor, he said that out of the total length of 3,443 kms, widening has already been completed in 765 kms and is in progress in a length of 2,446 kms and the work in a length of 232 kms remains to be awarded.

This includes 201 kms in West Bengal from Siliguri on NH-31 to West Bengal/Assam Border where the alignment had to be changed due to Mahananda and Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuaries and Buxa Tiger Reserve.Similarly work in a length of 31 kms in Assam between Udarband and Harangajo also could not be awarded due to declaration of Burail Wild Life Sanctuary.

Baalu also informed that some major bridges like the Second Brahamputra Bridge near Saraighat in Guwahati, the Kosi Bridge on NH-57 in Bihar and the cable-stayed bridge on the Kota Bypass in Rajasthan could be completed by 2010.

M.R. Reddy, A.V. Reddy, Dr. R. Senthil, L.R. Patil, D.P. Yadav, Hari Kewal Prasad, Brahmananda Panda, L.C. Seth, Santosh Gangwar (all from Lok Sabha), Silvius Condpan, Rishang Keishing, M.L. Mandal, Mabel Rebello and Miss Sushila Tiriya (all from Rajya Sabha).attended the meeting

ANI