NEW DELHI / AGARTALA, May 29 (TIWN): Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that the government will invest Rs.one lakh crore in the northeast region to develop road infrastructure in five years. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed him to put special emphasis on infrastructural development in the northeast as the region remained deprived off the progress for years. "In next five years we will build a road network, with investment of Rs.one lakh crore, in the northeast region of the country. This will enable fast and overall development of the entire region," Gadkari said from Nagpur while speaking at "Ek Nayee Subah" event to mark the Modi government's two years. Development works estimated at Rs.40,000 crore have already started in the region, he added.On development of waterways, Gadkari said that water transport is the cheapest way of travelling and with India having a 7500-km-long coastline which connects 78 districts of 13 states, the scope of water transport is immense."We are transforming the rivers -- which fall into the sea -- into waterways. We have also started working on strengthening our existing five waterways," he said.

He added that multi-modal hubs are being developed in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Haldia in West Bengal and Sahibganj in Jharkhand where Ganga flows. As many as 40 water ports are being made and work on developing waterways on Brahmaputra River will start soon. 

“Development of waterways will be the biggest achievement of our government," he said.