Announcement of India, Technical Assistance for Transport Survey in the Eastern Region on July 28, 1965

HOLD .FOR RELEASE FOR c.V 1818 H STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON D. C. 20433 TELEPHONE: EXECUTIVE 3-6360 For Release Subject: INDIA -- Technical Assistance July 28, 1965 for Transport Survey in the Eastern Region The Government of India and the World Bank have agreed to join in financing a ::;urvey of all modes of transport in the eastern region of India in order to enable the Government to formulate a transport investment program for the Fourth and Fitth ~ive-Year Plans (1966-1976). The Bank will pay the foreign exchange costs, esti- mated at $285,000, of providing a team of experts to assist the l:,lanning Conmission, which is undertaking the survey. The Government will bear the lo:cal curr<ancy costs. The survey will cover the States of West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and a few • bordering districts of Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. It is an area of rapidly growing agricultural, connnercial and industrial activity in which a large part of tndi.a's heavy industry, including coal and steel, is located. The survey is being undertaken under the auspices of the Planning Commission which has established a Joint Technical Group for Transport Pianning to supervise this and other regional surveys. The eastern regional survey has been divided into two phases. The first phase, intended to collect information about the present transport situation, was started in August 1964 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. The second phase, being assisted by the Bank, is expected co be completed in the second half of 1966. Its primary object is to advise on the formulation of a detailed transport: investment program for the Fourth Five-Year Plan (1966-1971) and a more gen~ral one f.or the Fifth. Five-Year Plan (1971-1976) based on the economic development forecast forr. the region and on the allocation of the ex- ~ pected traffic to the most economic mode of transport. l .. - • : - 2 - The expert team will consist of th;~ following: Mr. Ralph J. Watkins (United States), transport economist, Vice-President of Surveys and Research Corporation of Washington, D.C.; Mr. Rex S. Anderson (United States), highway expert; Mr. Matthew A. Cameron (United Kingdom), railway expert; Mr. Johannis A. Jansen (Netherlands), expert on ports and shipping; and Mr. Heinz Ziegler (Austria), e~onomist, a member of the World Bank staff • • ••