GUWAHATI: The central government wants to build capacity of local contractors, engineers and other stakeholders for participation in construction of highways and infrastructure in the North-East, Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said today."I have asked the norm to be relaxed if necessary without compromising on quality, train local contractors, make small packages, give 10 per cent advance so that more can get work. Encourage, not discourage," Gadkari said.The involvement of local stakeholders, he said, would result in inclusive development of the region through creation of jobs and opening up of avenues.Gadkari spoke on the occasion of the inauguration of a two-day conference on key challenges in highways and infrastructure construction in the region here.The Centre has decided to award contractors of the North East Rs 1 lakh crore construction projects involving completion of 10,000 km in five years, he said."The local contractors are not being able to participate in the road construction process as the technical and financial component cannot be fulfilled by them," he explained.The process for awarding contracts should be transparent, corruption-free, cost saving, time-bound, quality-controlled with e-tender, the minister said.Since the region receives heavy rainfall, Gadkari suggested construction of concrete roads as "bitumen roads get damaged in rains".Terming the roads as "assets for people", he asked the stakeholders to construct them using vision and innovative technology so that their quality is enhanced.On preserving environment, the minister said a new project has been launched to give opportunities to rural local youth to plant trees along national highways by building nurseries, transplanting trees and maintaining them.The minister also underscored development of inland waterways on 101 rivers across the country and said work has already started on five of them, including Brahmaputra in Assam.Gadkari made it a point to appeal to local insurgents to join the mainstream and work for the development of the area.Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said, "Good roads will take the region forward to prosperity."Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma acknowledged that the North-East is very disadvantaged in terms of road network compared with the rest of the country and the world.The conference is expected to discuss reforms nitty-gritty that can contribute to better business environment, sources added.