PM Modi inaugurates world's longest twin-lane tunnel, Sela Tunnel, in Arunachal Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the strategically significant Sela Tunnel project today during in Arunachal Pradesh. Built with a total cost of Rs 825 crore by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the tunnel is situated at an altitude of 13,700 feet in West Kameng district on the road connecting Tezpur to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Sela Tunnel project, constructed at a cost of about Rs 825 crore, is an engineering marvel. It will provide all weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela Pass on the Balipara -Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh. It has been constructed using the new Austrian Tunnelling Method and incorporates safety features of the highest standards. The project will not only provide a faster and more efficient transport route in the region but is of strategic importance to the country. The foundation stone of Sela Tunnel was laid by the Prime Minister in February 2019.

The Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.

He will lay the foundation stone of the (2880MW) Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in Lower Dibang Valley district. To be built at a cost of more than Rs 31,875 crore, it will be the highest dam structure in the country. It will generate power, help in flood moderation and lead to employment opportunities and socio-economic development in the region.

Other important projects whose foundation stone will be laid include several road, environment and tourism projects under the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’; upgradation of schools into 50 Golden Jubilee schools wherein holistic education will be provided through state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities; double lane road to provide connectivity from Donyi-Polo Airport to Naharlagun railway station, among others.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation various important projects in Arunachal Pradesh including several road projects; about 1100 projects of Jal Jeevan Mission, 170 telecom towers under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) benefiting more than 300 villages, among others. He will also hand over more than 35,000 houses constructed at a cost of Rs 450 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both Urban and Rural) to the beneficiaries.

During the programme, the Prime Minister will launch a new Industrial Development Scheme for North East, UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme). The scheme will strengthen the industrial ecosystem in the North East, attract new investment, help set up new manufacturing and services units and give a boost to employment in the North Eastern States.

This scheme, worth Rs 10,000 crore, is fully funded by the Government of India and covers all eight North Eastern States. The scheme will provide incentives for capital investment, interest subvention and a manufacturing & services linked incentive to the approved units. A portal is also being started for easy and transparent registration of eligible units. UNNATI will help catalyse industrial development and aid economic growth and development of the NE region.

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