Nitin Gadkari lays foundation for highway projects worth Rs 2300 crore; promises US-like roads

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, recently announced proposals to build 20 flyovers around Madhya Pradesh in response to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s requests.

Inaugurating and laying foundation stone of 6 NH Projects worth Rs 2300 Cr in Indore. #PragatiKaHighway #GatiShakti https://t.co/tsHv7YSVX7

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 1, 2022

On Monday, Gadkari participated in the foundation ceremonies for five new road projects for a combined total of almost Rs 2,300 crore, along with Chouhan and other dignitaries. The road improvements, which are anticipated to directly benefit the city of Indore, are intended to reduce traffic congestion, enhance intra- and interstate connections, and make commuting easier.

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Speaking on the occasion of the ceremony, Gadkari said, “As part of Setu Bandhan Yojana worth Rs 16,000cr, the chief minister has demanded construction of 20 flyovers including five in Indore at Satya Sai Square, Marimata Square, Dewas naka, IT Park and Musakhedi Square, I am making announcement to accept the same,” Additionally, he said that he will comply with the request to build three flyovers in Bhopal at Vyapam Square, Kasturba Nagar Square, and Karond Square. Additionally, three flyovers for Sagar were announced: two each for Gwalior and Jabalpur, one for Ratlam, Khandwa, Dhar, Chhatarpur, and Vidisha.

Furthermore, the MoRTH minister also stated that the central government is developing a 56-KM long western ring road costing Rs 1,480 Crore. He said, “However, I urge officials of Indore Development Authority (IDA) to have a discussion with NHAI officials to develop a new ‘super smart Indore’ alongside this western ring road” He further added, “The 1350-km-long Delhi-Mumbai Highway costing Rs 1 lakh crore is Asia’s biggest highway. Around 80% stretch of this highway that passes through Madhya Pradesh has been completed while in next three months, Indore-Delhi travel time will be reduced to a minimum as we will inaugurate this portion by November,”

Recently, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways also claimed in Rajya Sabha that India’s road infrastructure will be comparable to that of the United States by 2024. By 2024, up to 26 green express routes will be developed, considerably reducing travel time. He claimed that after the motorways are built, it will only take around two hours to go from Delhi to Dehradun, Delhi to Haridwar, and Delhi to Jaipur. While the journey from Delhi to Chandigarh takes 2.30 hours, the journey from Delhi to Amritsar takes 4 hours, and the journey from Delhi to Mumbai takes 12 hours.

During the Rajya Sabha session, the union minister while replying to Congress MP Rajeev Shukla’s query during Question Hour on the fund availability of NHAI said, “The Government is constructing 26 green highways. Road infrastructure in India will be similar to that of the U.S by 2024. There is no dearth of funds. We are committed to changing the face of road infrastructure in the country,” He further divulged that NHAI can construct roads worth five lakh crore every year.

Recently, Convergence Energy Services Ltd., a state-owned company, stated that it will be floating a tender for $10 billion worth of 50,000 electric buses in order to curb the rising emissions of the country. This tender is aimed to support India’s mission to decarbonize public transportation and achieve net zero emissions.

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