The DoNER ministry on Thursday has said that all impediments (legal, political and environmental) to the Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Power Project in Arunachal Pradesh have been removed and the work on the 2000 MW project has started and is expected to be completed by 2023.
The Ministry said this in its annual report 2020 released in New Delhi.
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With 100 percent implementation of e-office in the ministry of DoNER by way of providing support infrastructure and enabling access to e-office through VPN to officials, there was full utilization of the funds allotted to the ministry in the financial year 2019-2020.
The digitization also ensured the safety and protection of employees without loss of productivity, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also read: Assam: Amid protests, cargo reaches Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project site in Dhemaji
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The report also highlighted documentation of disputes between different states of the Northeast for further action by the ministry of home affairs.
The report also highlighted the study of various languages and scripts of the northeastern states and measures to revive the lost languages and scripts.
“Such other projects of importance for focussed development of deprived areas, vulnerable and neglected groups and sections of society and other emerging priority sectors,” it said.
The report further said that the government removed bamboo from the classification of trees in Indian Forest Act 1927 through Indian Forest (Amendment) Act, 2017 and re-classified it as grass by the ministry of environment, forests & climate change.
The decision is a game changer for development of bamboo in the northeastern region as it would facilitate large scale cultivation and processing of bamboo.
Another major reform relates to an increase in import duty on bamboo sticks from 10 percent to 25 percent.
This decision has paved the way for setting up of new agarbatti stick manufacturing units to meet the ever-growing demand of Agarbatti in India.
Meanwhile, DoNER minister Jitendra Singh said that there has been a significant development in terms of road, rail and air connectivity, helping facilitate the movement of goods and persons not only across the region but also across the country.
The report further highlighted the approval of Indradhanush Gas Grid Project at a cost of Rs 9265 crores, which would be a 1656 km long gas pipeline grid covering all eight states. This would provide clean energy boost industrial growth without pollution.
The work on Greenfield Hollongi Airport for capital connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh has started.
The project with an estimated cost of Rs 955.67 crore is likely to be completed by December, 2022.
In the roads sector, 35 national highways projects having a length of 536 Km, with an estimated cost of Rs 7707.17 crore have been sanctioned in the Northeast.
Bulk cargo and container movement from Kolkata and Haldia Ports to Guwahati Terminal via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route and NW2 (Brahmaputra) has also started.