Trans - Arunachal highway snippets

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said a Rs 125 billion trans-state highway in Arunachal Pradesh would be completed by 2013, a step that would boost infrastructure in the strategic northeastern state bordering China. "The Trans-Arunachal Highway, rail and air connectivity, and construction of two small hydro projects would meet the requirement of many remote areas, specially villages located on border areas, suffering from isolation," Manmohan Singh said, addressing an election rally at Pasighat in East Siang district. "The highway would be completed by 2013 and would go a long way in boosting infrastructure in the region.
I like to assure you once again that the Congress government is committed to the overall development of Arunachal Pradesh," he said. The 1,840 km long TransArunachal Pradesh highway would link 11 district headquarters, while an additional 847 km of roads would connect the remaining five district headquarters in the state.
Elections to the 60-member legislature is scheduled for Oct 13, although voting would be for 57 seats with three ruling Congress party candidates already declared elected unopposed.
The highway construction project was announced in February 2008 by the prime minister during his visit to Arunachal Pradesh as part of a development package by New Delhi for the geographically isolated frontier state.
Poor roads and infrastructure, especially roads along the border areas, have become major election issues with both the ruling Congress candidates and the opposition demanding better road facilities in the border areas in view of repeated reports of Chinese incursions.
"We want roads to be developed so as to facilitate easy movement of locals as well as troops in the border areas. The highway project would surely go a long way in improving connectivity in the state," Congress MP from the state Takam Sanjay said.
PM's visit to the state comes amid reports of heavy troop deployment in the border areas in the state following the latest round of hiccups over Chinese intrusion in the Jammu and Kashmir sector, besides Bejing's opposition to theDalai Lama's visit to Arunachal.