CM rolls out road projects, jobs, FDI as Cabinet clears Rs 7,700-Cr investment deals
Assam to build controlled-access expressways linking Srirampur, Guwahati, Jorhat & Dibrugarh over the next five years
A file image of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a recent poll campaign. (Photo:X)
Guwahati, May 6: In a marathon six-hour cabinet meeting held on Monday night, the Assam government approved investments worth ₹7,700 crore across key sectors, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday.
Addressing the press at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, the Chief Minister revealed that ₹1,500 crore of the total investment would come from foreign sources.
“These are the outcomes of the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) we had signed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit. As a result of these deals, the state will see the creation of 16,446 direct employment opportunities,” Sarma said.
Among the highlights of the meeting was a significant focus on road infrastructure, with the Chief Minister announcing plans for a six-lane road connecting Guwahati to Umiam in Meghalaya.
“This new road will not be part of the Guwahati-Panchgram controlled-access highway but will fall under a separate project that is currently in the pipeline,” he clarified.
Looking ahead, the state is also exploring similar “point-to-point” controlled-access highways on key corridors — Srirampur to Guwahati, Guwahati to Jorhat, and Jorhat to Dibrugarh — all of which are expected to be coming up within five years.
“We’ve spent four years working on the Guwahati-Panchgram controlled-access corridor. For the upcoming routes, we are targeting a five-year completion window,” Sarma said.
While expressing gratitude to the Central government for supporting the Guwahati-Panchgram project, the Chief Minister acknowledged that the Guwahati-Panchgram controlled-access highway may not bring significant economic returns for the Centre.
“It won’t be commercially beneficial for the Union government, as the road won’t witness high truck traffic. But it is a vital infrastructure investment,” he added.
“With this, Barak Valley will have three access routes — the traditional Jowai road, the Haflong route which will be ready by next year, and this new access-controlled corridor,” he added.