- Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Govt. of India entered into a Framework Agreement with the Govt. of Myanmar in April 2008 to facilitate implementation of the project. The Framework Agreement is based on a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for development of the Multimodal Transit Transport system to the North Eastern states through Myanmar prepared by Indian Consultant M/s RITES during 2003. The transit route envisaged between Kolkata (nearest Indian port / commercial hub) and Mizoram as per the current implementation programme (after revision of the DPR for Port & Inland Water Transport components by Inland Waterways Authority of India in 2009) comprises of following segments.
Stretch Mode Distance Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar Shipping 539 km Sittwe to Paletwa (River Kaladan) Inland Water Transport (IWT) 158 km Paletwa to Indo-Myanmar Border (in Myanmar) Road 110 km Border to NH.54 (Lawngtlai) (in India) Road 100 km - The connectivity between mainland India and Sittwe (Myanmar) could as well be with any other port on the Indian coast.
- Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the Project Development Consultant (PDC) appointed by the MEA in March 2009 for implementation of the Port & IWT components - the stretch (2) mentioned in para.1 above. M/s Essar Projects India Limited, Mumbai is the main Contractor for these components appointed by MEA in April 2010. The Contract value is Rs. 342 crores. Agreement was signed in the month of May 2010.
- Construction of integrated Port cum IWT jetty at Sittwe is substantially completed. IWAI is performing the overall project management and quality control for which it has also engaged M/s URS Scott Wilson India Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon as its Supervision Consultant (appointed by IWAI through tendering). The item wise present physical progress are mentioned below:-