No superhighway to Tamu: Centre

IMPHAL, July 25: The Union minister for surface transport HK Narayan Yadav told Rajya Sabha today that there is no proposal for extension of the super highway to Tamu, border town of Myanmar, even though the United Front Manipur government claimed that the super highway will be extended up to Myanmar. The Union minister made the statement in reply to an unstarred query from W Angou Singh in the Parliament today. The minister further informed the House that out of total stretch of 7300 km of north-south and east-west corridors, stretches of about 600 km of national highway are already four-laned while 20 sections of national highways totalling 272 km will be soon converted to 4/6 lanes. Expenditure for the north-south and east-west corridors was Rs 122.45 crores during the period of 1999-2000. A sum of Rs 430 crores has also been allocated for these corridors for the year 2000-01. The Union minister further said the Centre makes advance releases of the states' entitlements and provides ways and means advances, if needed, to the states to bail them out of overdraft. He further said advised by the Centre, some of the NE states, which are facing acute financial problem, have initiated the process of financial reform, which emphasises on formation and implementation of credible and monitorable programmes to achieve fiscal stability. Extended ways and means advances given during 1999-2000 to the NE states are: Sikkim - Rs 25 crores, Manipur - Rs 50 cores and Assam - Rs 300 crores. Allotment is done on the basis of recommendation of the finance commission.