If all goes according to plan, the upgrade of the Imphal and Agartala airports to international status will help end the physical isolation of India's landlocked Northeast. Currently, Guwahati is the lone international airport in the eight northeastern states, including Sikkim. Given the region's dire need for better connectivity — with the rest of India and neighbouring countries — an integrated airports development project that upgrades and connects the dozen or so northeastern airports, including Bagdogra in West Bengal, will help build Imphal into a regional hub for international flights to Southeast Asia, and facilitate domestic movement and commerce. Road and rail connectivity for the economically deprived Northeast has remained a festering absence since Independence. While an international flight hub will likely stimulate road projects, the upgraded airports will need better road and rail links. Manipur, for instance, is a state that sits at the ends of NH 39 and NH 53.
25/06/13 Indian Express
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25/06/13 Indian Express
