Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Monday that the construction of a cross-border road, part of the ambitious Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), connecting South Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with Myanmar’s Sittwe port will be finalized by November this year. Speaking at a rally in West Phaileng, Dampa assembly constituency, located in Mamit district, West Mizoram, near the Bangladesh border, Gadkari disclosed that the 26-kilometer road project carries a cost of Rs 1,132 crore.
“The road under the Kaladan project will be completed by November and it will be helpful to connect Myanmar’s Sittwe port,” he stated.
As the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Gadkari emphasized the need for infrastructure and communication development to foster comprehensive progress.
“If the infrastructure is good, we attract investments in industry and agriculture, leading to job creation. Job creation is fundamental to development, as it helps alleviate poverty,” he explained.
Addressing the rally ahead of the Mizoram assembly elections scheduled for November 7, Gadkari also mentioned a Rs 20,000-crore road project aimed at connecting Mizoram to Nagaland, Manipur in the northeast, and the international boundary of Myanmar.
Gadkari shared that during his tenure as the Road Transport Minister in 2014, the length of national highways stood at 986 kilometers. By 2023, it has extended to 1,478 kilometers.
He further pointed out that about 355 kilometers of road construction in Mizoram, costing Rs 8,000 crore, has been completed since he assumed office in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Gadkari also revealed plans for a 373-kilometer road project between Aizawl and Tuipang in the southern part of the state, set to be concluded by June the following year. This Rs 7,361-crore project will link six districts of Mizoram, including Aizawl and Serchhip, and facilitate economic growth, trade, and job opportunities, bridging connections with Myanmar.
In addition, the Central government will construct an Aizawl bypass road at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore to address traffic congestion in the state capital. This project, spanning 35 kilometers with a 2.5-kilometer tunnel, is scheduled for completion by December 2025.
Gadkari expressed concern about the delay in the construction of the four-lane Silchar to Vairengte-Sairang road (NH-306) due to the state government’s inability to provide land, owing to disputes between the revenue and forest departments.
He concluded by asserting that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP with President JP Nadda, the BJP aims to transform Mizoram into one of the most developed states in the country if the party is elected to power or becomes part of the state’s next government. Gadkari emphasized the BJP’s commitment to development without discrimination based on caste, creed, or gender, and the NDA government’s dedication to the nation’s progress.