Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday laid the foundation stone of several national highway projects across West Bengal and said improvement of connectivity will usher in the development of the state.
Gadkari said that infrastructure development in north Bengal is the key to boosting the region's tourism industry.
"Work on these projects will begin in December. The region will get a 5.12-km-long six-lane road, a 3.6-km four-lane road, and another 3.7 km elevated road.
"These projects will help improve connectivity and save the time of travellers commuting to Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan," he said.
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways also announced that a bridge on the Teesta River will soon be built at the cost of Rs 1,100 crore.
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Several other infrastructure projects are in the pipeline, he added.
Gadkari, who was scheduled to lay the foundation stone of two more national highway projects at Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur and four other projects at Kharagpur in Paschim Medinipur district, was unable to visit those places as he fell ill in Siliguri.
"After the programme ended in Siliguri, Gadkari Ji complained of uneasiness. The doctors immediately attended to him. He later left in his car," BJP MLA Neeraj Zimba said.
According to officials, he was taken to the residence of Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, who was also present at the programme.
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After his condition improved, he virtually attended Siliguri the two other programmes in Raiganj and Kharagpur.
He laid the foundation stone for national highway projects worth Rs 1,082 crore at Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district.
He said that four-laning of national highways from Raniganj to Dalkhola will enhance connectivity between West Bengal and the Northeast.
While laying the foundation stone of four national highway projects worth Rs 5,351 crore in Paschim Medinipur district, Gadkari said the BJP government at the Centre is committed to the state's development.
"The development of this stretch will go a long way in ensuring the progress and prosperity of the surrounding tribal areas," he said.
(Inputs from PTI)
