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ADB Provides $2.5 Million Loan To Sikkim For Road Upgradation Project

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ADB, India sign agreement to support preparation of road upgradation projectThe Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed a $2.5 million(~Rs 18.28 crore) project readiness financing (PRF) loan to support preparation and design activities to upgrade major district roads in Sikkim.

Objective:

  • To help improve connectivity to important towns, rural areas, and pilgrimage and tourist destinations in the northeastern state.
  • To upgrade to all-weather roads as frequent landslides and erosion damage the roads and disrupt intra-state connectivity.

Signatories:

Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of India & Takeo Konishi, ADB Country Director for India signed the PRF.

Project Readiness Financing(PRF) Agreement:

PRF will help to boost the state’s economy and improve accessibility for people in remote villages.The PRF project also aims in,

  • Ensuring implementation readiness through feasibility studies and
  • Preparing detailed engineering designs of selected subprojects and
  • Building capacity of state agencies so that the ensuing project gets completed in a timely manner.

Background:

i.The ADB-funded North Eastern State Roads Investment Program, which was launched in 2011, had earlier supported road improvements in Sikkim

ii.Few of the priority roads identified for up-gradation are included in the state’s master plan for transport management that was formulated with ADB technical assistance in 2012.

Recent related news:

On 8th April 2021, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 484 Million (~Rs.3,616 Crore) Loan to improve transport connectivity and road maintenance in Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor(CKIC) in Tamil Nadu.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB):

President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Established in– 1966
Headquarters– Manila, Philippines
Members– 68 members(49 – Asia & Pacific & 19 – outside)