India’s infra push: Nitin Gadkari announces slew of road development projects

Union Minister of road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Saturday announced a number of new road development projects, includrehabilitation, widening, and development of new roads in Bihar, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and northeast India.

In Bihar, the ministry has approved rehabilitation and widening work for two lane of existing national highway between Bhagalpur-Kahalgaon-Mirzachowki on a budget of Rs 566.15 crore, and rehabilitation and widening work for national highway between Munger-Sultanganj-Bhagalpur-Mirzachowki for Rs 477.54 crore, Gadkari said on Twitter.

He further informed that a budget of Rs 1,229.38 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-1, a centrally-sponsored and funded scheme, has been approved for Punjab. This includes development of six-lane greenfield highway between Amritsar and Bathinda, and six lane Jalandhar Bypass from Kahiwan to Kang Sahbu for Rs 1,754.84 crore.

The ministry has also approved a six-lane Thatchur highway between Veera Kaveri Rajapuram to Pondavakkam on hybrid annuity mode under Bharatmala Pariyojana in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for a budget Rs1,102.63 crore.

Infra push for the Northeast

Apart from these, the ministry has also approved several road widening and upgradation projects in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland.

“Construction of section of Tamenglong-Tousem-Lisang –Mahur road (NH-37) to two lane with paved shoulder in the state of Manipur was approved with a budget of Rs 483.87 crore,” Gadkari said.

“Upgradation to 2 lane with paved shoulders of a section of Dulte- Kwalkulh road (International corridor) of NH-6 in the state of Mizoram under Bharatmala Pariyojana was approved with a budget of Rs 374.39 Crore,” he added.

Earlier this week, Gadkari shared that the length of National Highways has gone up by 50% over the last seven years.  The Ministry has achieved the record-breaking milestone of constructing 37 kilometres highways per day in year 2020-21, which is unprecedented. 

The Union Minister even felicitated the officials of Road Transport Ministry and presented the letters of appreciation. The Minister said that this would not have been possible without dedication and teamwork of the officials and other stakeholders. He said that these achievements are unprecedented and have no parallel in any other country in the world.