Indian firm appointed for road building under the Kaladan project in Myanmar

28 February 2022
Indian firm appointed for road building under the Kaladan project in Myanmar
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. Photo: Wikipedia

IRCON International said that it has been appointed as 'project implementation agency' for a road project in Myanmar by the Indian government Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), according to a report by Business Standard.

The project involves the construction of a road from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpuri in India’s Mizoram under the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) in Myanmar at a lump sum cost of Rs 1780 crore on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode.

The project is likely to run for over three years.

IRCON International is an engineering and construction, specialized in transport infrastructure and is wholly owned by the India’s Ministry of Railways. As of 31 December 2021, the Government of India held 73.18 percent stake in the company.

The Kaladan Road Project is a US$484 million venture connecting the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine State. In Myanmar, it will then link Sittwe seaport to Paletwa in Chin State via the Kaladan river boat route, and then from Paletwa by road to Mizoram state in Northeast India.

All components of the project, including Sittwe port and power, river dredging, Paletwa jetty, have reportedly been completed, except this Zorinpuri-Paletwa road.

The project was initially scheduled to be completed by 2014.