Few Ideas for pulling Assam economically

Think big, plan well (original Published in The Statesman, Kolkata)

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=14&id=164700&usrsess=1

By Manoj Das

(This is an edited version)

We cannot keep blaming the Centre for our own shortcomings. At a time when the funds are not a problem, our state governments donot have decent DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) in any sector. And they are not able to meet the 10% matching component thats mandatory to get the funds.

The governments need to be innovative, development oriented and should be supported by a well oiled mechanism for implementation of projects as well as monitoring and quality assurance. The states and the Centre must also think big and implement at least a few mega projects which can act as a big pull for investors. Uttar Pradesh government has taken such mega initiatives with 'Ganga Expressway and Taj Expressway' projects.

Based on my own interactions with a few thinkers and my own, I am listing a few such mega projects:

1. Dredging of the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries: A look at the satellite pictures will reveal how much land is being grabbed by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

On a rough estimate, some 1.5 million hectares can be reclaimed if we dredge and train the rivers. It was in Mukulda's (M C Mahant) house that we discussed the project. He also gave a noval idea of dumping the reclaimed soil in a North-South direction in mounds to get the maximum surface area. Canals will be available for cheap water transport, irrigation, run of the river power turbines to generate energy. National Waterways-II will be a reality and we can use 1.5 Mn hectares of reclaimed land to rehabilitate misplaced people from flood prone areas. Cost: $20 Bn

2. Construction up of a aerotropolis near Doom Dooma, upper Assam , not far from Dibrugarh. This could be a refuelling, resting and recreation stop for long distance travelers from the Pacific rim to South Asia, South Africa and West Asia. As of now, there is no such place. bangkok is too near, Mumbai-Delhi are dull and Dubai is too dry and far. The aerotropolis will have World Class recreation hubs, education, accomoadtion, sports facilities and a satellite IT hub to tap the IT potential of the NE Region. cost $ 5 Bn

3. Creating a Metropolis: Some are talking of a mega city, where about 15 million people could live. This city –state could have an area of influence of about 1,500 kms. In South East Asia Singapore, Kualalumpur, bangkok. Kunming have their spheres of affluence. To the West are Dhaka, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Jaipur,Surat, Karachi, Lahore, Teheran etc.. Guwahati is ideally located to yield such a sphere of influence. It will be a centre of consumption, manufacturing, trade & commerce. The city must expand to teh North and East. The great river is ideally located to support such a mega city. Atleast three bridges across the river, roads, drainage, water, sewage,sanitation, power, education, recreation, entertainment and health facilities needs to be created. The city will have to outgrow its current topographical limitations and metamorph itself into a great city. Cost $ 10 Bn

4. Opne up age old trade links of Assam: Build an all-weather, four-lane express way through the Stillwell Road from Ledo to Mytkyina in Myanmar to link up with Route No. 9 of Trans Asian Highway, that goes upto Singapore. In my estimate only 205 Km of road needs to be built through the Hukong Valley. Ii will puch the insurgents an d bring in prosperity and tourism from prosperous ASEAN and PACIFIC RIM.Without connectivity, the Centre’s “Look East Policy” will be a blind policy. The bogey of Chinese fear is not doing any good to our security either. Cost $ 1 Bn

5. Build a spiritual tourism circuit: Assam and the North-east have great endowment of extraordinary biodiversity, landscape, demographic diversity. It also a fair share of faiths and myths right form Mahabharata Times.

A well-designed and commercially viable spiritual tourism circuit can be established, starting point from the legendary Parsuram Kund on the Lohit in Arunachal, with theme parks and infrastructure at Sisupal Garh and Bhismak Nagar. The next stop will be Malini Than near Silapathar where Krishna was said to have been garlanded by Durga, in guise of a malini (flowerwoman). Bring the tourist to Majuli, which was blessed by krishna to be the second Brindavan and is living upto the reputation with its numerous Sattras and the living Satriya culture.

Biswanath Ghat on the North Bank, known as the second Kashi, could be the next stopover with Tezpur's mystic past with Usha and Anniruddha providing the missing links. Kamakhya in Guwahati Ashwaklanta in North Guwahati, Madan Kamadeva near Hajo and Suryapahar ruins and ultimately the Netai Dhubuni Ghat at Dhubri will provide the chain to the legendary connections to the mystic past.

We need to go back to our Pragjyotishpura days for connecting to teh great Indian domestic pilgrimage traffic that spends billions in such of succour to the soul.
Cost $ ).5 Bn

(The author is with the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd., NEDFI)