Sonowal to throw open inland waterway projects worth Rs 254 crore in North-East

New Delhi: In a significant push towards revitalising the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector and bolstering connectivity in the North Eastern Region, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate key projects worth more than Rs 254 crore at Pandu Port in Guwahati on February 20.

The minister will inaugurate a passenger-cum-cargo terminal at Bogibeel set up with an investment of Rs 46.60 crore, an Inland Water Transport Terminal at Sonamura and an upgraded Terminal at Karimganj and Badarpur, according to a statement issued by the ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Monday.

During the event he will also announce six jetties at various locations on River Brahmaputra worth Rs. 8.45 crore, 19 passenger vessels for National Waterway-2 and National Waterway-16 worth Rs. 25 crore, and the extension of Jetty, Integrated Office and Bank Protection worth Rs. 30 crore.

The ministry said that these infrastructural developments are poised to significantly augment connectivity within the Northeast, facilitating smoother movement of both passengers and cargo.

In addition to these inaugurations, the foundation stone for the IWAI Dhubri Office Complex worth Rs. 7.50 crore for Immigration and Customs is set to be laid, underscoring the government's commitment to streamlining administrative processes and infrastructure development in the region.

The event will be attended by Queen Oja, Member of Parliament, Guwahati, Shri Parimal Suklabaidya, Minister of Transport, Fisheries & Excise, Government of Assam and the MLAs of the region.