Aizawl: Mizoram’s lone Rajya Sabha MP, K. Vanlalvena, on Thursday urged the Centre to fast-track three critical road projects—two of which lie on the Indo-Myanmar border to strengthen national security and boost regional trade, according to an official statement.
During Zero Hour in the ongoing Parliament session, Vanlalvena highlighted two pressing infrastructure gaps: inadequate high-capacity connectivity to the Myanmar border and rising traffic congestion on the Aizawl–Sairang corridor.
The MP called on the Centre to designate two strategic border routes as National Highways. These routes connect Hnahthial to Saisihchhuah in western Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, passing through key villages including Tarpho, Cherhlun, Thingsai, Sangau, South Vanlaiphai, and Pangkhua, before terminating at the international border.
Pointing to an infrastructure disparity, Vanlalvena noted that the Myanmar government had completed a double-lane highway from Hakha in Chin state to Saisihchhuah as early as 2020. While the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has designated Saisihchhuah as an official “border haat,” he said, the Indian side still lacks adequate road connectivity to facilitate large-scale trade.
“Upgrading these routes to National Highways is essential to implement the Act East Policy, enhance national security, and spur economic development for Mizoram’s tribal population,” the statement quoted Vanlalvena as saying.
Beyond border logistics, the MP raised concerns about the 21-km Aizawl–Sairang corridor. He observed that the opening of the Sairang railway station has led to a surge in vehicular traffic. The existing National Highway-6 (formerly NH-54), he noted, is no longer adequate to handle the increased volume, and urged the Centre to upgrade the stretch to a four-lane highway to ease congestion and support the state’s growing logistics needs.