Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for 16 projects on Monday. A 45-crore RCC bridge over the Makru river in Tamenglong district is one of the projects. Gadkari read a few of the projects and announced that funds had been approved. The remaining projects will require a total of Rs 4,148 crore, according to Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren. Gadkari said that money was not an issue. The state government should focus on land acquisition and other issues, according to Gadkari, because the necessary funds will be approved on time. Biren said that the bridge over the Barak River would be finished by September and that the third bridge over the Irung River would be finished by December. The Makru bridge is 189 km from Imphal, the state capital. It will improve connectivity between Assam and Manipur, as well as between Manipur's major cities. Manipur's second lifeline is the 222 km national highway 37 between Imphal and Jiribam. Agriculture, industry, and the services sector, according to Mr Gadkari, are the main sources of revenue in Manipur. The Minister expressed confidence in the BJP-led government in Manipur's socioeconomic performance. Gadkari also said that the federal government has always prioritised the development of the Northeastern states and urged the state government to cooperate with his ministry and expedite the work, claiming that there is no shortage of funds. Gadkari also asked the authorities to resolve any issues with land acquisition and environmental clearance of the projects as soon as possible. The minister also said that the state's overall development would be boosted by the National Highway projects that were inaugurated on Monday. Gadkari informed that the ministry had already approved a DPR of Rs 5,102 crore and that projects worth Rs 10,671 crore would be approved for the fiscal year 2021-22. Image Source Also read: Bakarpur-Manikpur national highway in Bihar gets nod from centre Also read: Foundation stone laid for NH-208 from Kailasahar to Khowai in Tripura