Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government is planning to invest Rs 3 lakh crore in Assam to construct national highways at par with those in the US.

Replying to queries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Road Transport and Highways Minister also asserted that his ministry has no dearth of funds for road projects.

He also informed the House about the progress of various national highway (NH) projects in Assam and said the ring road of Guwahati will be completed by December 2027 at a cost of Rs 5,800 crore.

"I am confident that after building all this road, we will make the national highway of Assam equivalent to USA," he said.

The government is planning to invest Rs 3 lakh crore in Assam, Gadkari said, adding that roads, bridges and tunnels are being constructed to improve transport networks in the state.

Besides Ring Road, the minister said, the government is making a tunnel in Dibrugarh under the Brahmaputra river, costing Rs 12,000 crore, which is already in the process of sanctioning.

"So, it is totally going to change the total scenario of the highway network in Assam, and there will be more investment, more jobs, more creation of wealth and progress and development for Assam. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, we have given the highest priority to the development of infrastructure, in particular, in the northeast area, and we are taking it very seriously," Gadkari said.