Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for 3 highway projects at Sonepat

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 17:02 IST
Penalties on contractors for poor maintenance and operation of National Highways

The construction and maintenance of National Highways (NHs) is a continuous process which is done by the contractor or concessionaire as per provisions made in the contract or concession agreement. Adequate provision regarding maintaining standard of road quality and imposition of penalty in case of default are there in the contract. The routine inspections are done by engineers before and after monsoon in their jurisdiction to assess site condition. The funds for maintenance of NHs in the current financial year are as follows:-



The State and UT-wise details of funds allocated for maintenance & repair of NHs during the current financial year is as follows

S No

State/UTs/Scheme

Allocation in Rs Crore

1

Andhra Pradesh

58.20

2

Arunachal Pradesh

29.75

3

Assam

73.34

4

Bihar

57.05

5

Chhattisgarh

35.21

6

Goa

21.70

7

Gujarat

88.01

8

Haryana

45.91

9

Himachal Pradesh

74.92

10

Jammu & Kashmir

10.28

11

Jharkhand

50.26

12

Karnataka

96.70

13

Kerala

86.77

14

Madhya Pradesh

36.05

15

Maharashtra

129.72

16

Manipur

30.99

17

Meghalaya

94.16

18

Mizoram

124.68

19

Nagaland

55.08

20

Odisha

51.17

21

Punjab

57.49

22

Rajasthan

77.38

23

Sikkim

6.28

24

Tamil Nadu

68.79

25

Telangana

47.77

26

Tripura

43.72

27

Uttar Pradesh

101.73

28

Uttarakhand

21.88

29

West Bengal

56.88

30

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

0.00

31

Chandigarh

1.11

32

Dadar & Nagar Haveli

0.11

33

Daman & Diu

0.07

34

Delhi

0.98

35

Puducherry

1.94

36

NHAI

100.00

37

NHIDCL

50.00

38

BRO

100.00


This information was given by the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.




*****


Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 17:01 IST
Contracts for Four and Two Laning of NHs since 2014-15

Contracts for 297 projects amounting to Rs 1,09,043 crore having length of 13,433 km have been awarded for two and four laning of National Highways in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Jharkhand since 2014-15 till date.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 17:00 IST
Use of Plastic and Jute in Construction of National Highways

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways encourages the use of waste plastic and jute in the construction of highways, especially on National Highways within 50 km periphery of urban areas with population of 5 lakhs or more. Guidelines for use of waste plastic have been issued to select a stretch of at least 10 km as pilot project for assessment so as to make it compulsory in the contracts. At present no National Highways has been constructed with waste plastic.


The Ministry’s specifications for Roads and Bridge works incorporates the use of jute and geo-textiles in different geotechnical engineering applications. The allocation and expenditure of funds for research, development, training & quality assurance during last five years is as below:


Year
Allocation in Rs. crore
Expenditure in Rs. crore

2012-13
1.0
0.47

2013-14
0.4
0.18

2014-15
7.0
4.65

2015-16
68.2
40.90

2016-17
83.0
16.79


This information was given by the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.


*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 16:59 IST
Estimated Expenditure on Road Sector

The estimated fund requirement for development of National Highways (NHs) / roads under various schemes and proposed Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana is about Rs. 6,92,324 crore upto Financial Year (FY) 2021-22. The sources of funds include Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) including NH share of Central Road Fund (CRF) cess, Toll Remittance, expected monetization of NHs through Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) route, market borrowings by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and private sector investment.

The estimated share of private sector investment and expected monetization through TOT route during this period are about Rs.1,06,000 crore and about Rs.34,000 crore respectively; which together form about 20.22 percent of total estimated fund requirement of Rs. 6,92,324 crore.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 16:58 IST
Development of Green Highways in Andhra Pradesh

The National Highways Authority of India has received two proposals from Andhra Pradesh Government for development of greenery along the sides of National Highways. The details of the proposals are as under:-

(i) Plantation and beautification along National Highways through AP Urban Greening and Beautification Corporation Ltd.
(ii) Plantation and maintenance along NH – 44 (Hyderabad – Bangalore section) through Forest Department, Andhra Pradesh.

The Proposals for plantation and maintenance of 40 km length along NH 7 (Anantpur bypass to Chenekothapalli), 27 km length along NH 16 (Divancheruvu to Gundugolanu) and 60 km along NH 44 (Hyderabad – Bangalore section) have been approved by NHAI.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.


*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 16:53 IST
Four and Six Laning of National Highways Projects in Karnataka

There are 146 National Highways projects earmarked for the state of Karnataka for the year 2017-18. During the year 2016-17 a total length of 240 km, and during the present year up to end of June 2017 a total length of 49.6 km have been converted to 4/6 lane in the state. The total outlay for the current year is Rs 6,861 cr.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 16:52 IST
Construction of Highways along Coastline of Odisha

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had proposed for construction of National Highways along the coastline of Odisha in June, 2015. Consultants were appointed for preparation of feasibility report and Detailed Project Report (DPR). The preparation of DPR from Chatrapur ( later extended to Gopalpur) to Ratanpur section has been assigned to M/s Chaitanya Projects Consultancy Pvt. Ltd and from Ratanpur to Digha section has been assigned to M/s Aarvee Associates Pvt Limited.

The consultants started preparation of DPR with effect from 11th February 2016. After preliminary survey, the proposed alignment of the said stretch was shared with the state government in a meeting held on 03rd September, 2016 to which they agreed in-principle. Subsequently, the same was approved in-principle by the competent authority of NHAI vide letter dated 24th November, 2016.

Accordingly, the consultants have undertaken detailed survey of the stretch for the approved alignment and field investigation and survey works have been substantially completed. The feasibility report for Ratanpur to Digha section has been received and same in respect of Gopalpur to Ratanpur is under preparation, and is likely to be submitted by July, 2017. The project will involve acquisition of huge area of private land and forest land apart from existing land under the state govt. The land acquisition will start after approval of DPR. After availability of at least 90% of land, the project will be commenced.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
24-July, 2017 16:51 IST
Tree Plantation along 1,513 km of National Highways under Green Highways Scheme

The National Highways Authority of India has initiated tree plantations along 1,513 km length of National Highways in ten states in 2016. This includes 390 Km of National Highways in Andhra Pradesh, 133 Km in Assam, 418 Km in Haryana , 100 Km in Jammu & Kashmir, 50 Km in Jharkhand , 82 Km in Madhya Pradesh , 87 Km in Maharashtra , 77 Km in Orissa , 26 Km in Rajasthan and 150 Km in Telengana –length.

Under the Green Highways Scheme, tree plantations along National Highways are part of all highway development projects. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is actively promoting greening of highway corridors with the participation of the community, farmers, private sector, NGOs and government institutions/departments.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
25-July, 2017 13:18 IST
Rs. 7 Lakh crores investment needed for the highways sector in next 5 years

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has estimated a fund requirement of about Rs. 6.92 lakh crore for the development of National Highways in the country during the next five years. This requirement will be met from the Gross Budgetary Support of the Ministry, the Central Road Fund, Toll remittance, Monetization of National Highways through Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) model, external borrowings by National Highway Authority of India and private sector investment. This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport & highways and Shipping Shri Mansukh Mandaviya in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. He also informed that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has identified 208 level crossings on National Highways for construction of ROBs under Setu Bharatam Scheme and feasibility study of 87 ROB projects has been completed so far.

Shri Mandaviya also informed that the Government has envisaged to increase the existing National Highway network of 1.15 lakh kms in the country to 2 lakh kms. The requirement of funds for development of these National Highways will be met through different sources as mentioned above.

In a separate written reply, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya informed the House that the Government encourages the use of plastic waste in construction of National Highways specially within 50 km periphery of the urban areas having population of 5 lakhs or more. However, at present, no National Highway has been constructed using plastic waste.

****

 

[nair]

Nithin Gadkari has been doing a good job..... With out much halla bulla.. .

 

[Tshering22]

Shouldn't this come under economy and infrastructure thread?

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
27-July, 2017 18:06 IST
Funds for National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is implementing a National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme (NHARSS) under which ambulances and cranes are provided to state Governments to take the accident victims to the nearest hospital and to evacuate the damaged vehicles from the road accident site on the NHs. NHAI also provides ambulances at every toll plaza on the completed corridor of NHs.


The State-wise details of the funds transferred by the Ministry for procurement of cranes/ ambulances during 2015-16 and 2016-17 were as follows:-


(Amount in Rs.)

Sl. No.
States

2015-16
2016-17

Remarks

1.
Jammu & Kashmir
13,46,40,000/-

--
For basic life support ambulances

2.
Sikkim
3,06,90,000/-
--

3.
Mizoram
49,50,000/-
4,11,260/-

4.
Andhra Pradesh
--
1,89,00,000/-
For Cranes



This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
27-July, 2017 18:05 IST
Developing Wayside Amenities along National Highways

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified nearly 183 sites for setting up wayside amenities along national highways. These sites will be developed to provide facilities such as separate parking for cars, buses and trucks, restaurant/food court, low cost dhaba, telephone booth/ATM, fuel station & minor repair shop, rest rooms for short-stay, clean toilets, landscaping, kiosk for sale of miscellaneous sundry items, space for spreading Government welfare programme in a systematic and planned manner. Wayside amenities now form part of major highway improvement projects.

Out of the 183 identified sites, land for 63 sites is available with NHAI and bids for 16 sites have been invited with due date of receipt in August, 2017. Bids for the remaining sites are being invited shortly. A Project Management Consultant (PMC) has been appointed to assist in the overall implementation of the project and to engage specialized firms for developing and operating these facilities.

The Ministry grants access permission to the retail outlets located along the NHs. As per the licence agreement signed as part of granting such access permission, it is mandatory for retail outlets to provide toilet and drinking water facilities to the users. No separate funds are allocated for providing such way side amenities, etc., on NHs.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today

***

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
27-July, 2017 18:01 IST
The Digital Route to Land Acquisition

The Government proposes to take the digital route to speed up land acquisition. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has developed a Web Utility/Portal for processing land acquisition notifications and has already conducted workshops in some states, preparatory to operationalizing the said portal.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
27-July, 2017 17:58 IST
Madhya Pradesh : Allocation of funds for National Highways in 2017-18

An amount of 431.74 crores has been allotted to the state of Madhya Pradesh for development and maintenance of national highways in the current financial year.

The allocated amount is likely to be spent on National Highways Nos. 26A, 86 Ext., 59A, 59, 86, 76 and 146 in the state.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
27-July, 2017 17:57 IST
Highway Projects: Steps taken to address financial challenges

31 numbers of national highways projects have reached financial closure during the last three years and the current year. The modes of delivery for implementation of the projects are Build Operate Transfer (Toll/Annuity), Hybrid Annuity model (HAM), Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC) and Item rate.

Some of the challenges faced by the Ministry are achievement of financial closure within time limit, payment of premium by concessionaire construction completion, shortage of equity with private developers, high cost of debt, stake holder demand for exit etc. In this regard, following steps have been taken by the Ministry:

(i) Premium Deferment in stressed projects: Allowing restructuring of premiums committed by Concessionaires during the bid stage in projects which is renegotiable only once through the life of the Concession.

(ii) Harmonious Substitution in Financially stressed projects: Permitting substitution of existing Concessionaire or the selected bidder /consortium member of such project SPV in a harmonious manner.

(iii) One time fund infusion to revive and physically complete languishing BOT projects: Provision of financial assistance in the form of a loan at bank rate + 2% subject to first charge on the Toll /Annuity receivables of those projects which has achieved at least 50% physical completion.

(iv) 100% equity divestment after two years of construction completion for all BOT projects irrespective of year of award which facilitates concessionaires to invest in any other projects.

(v) Authorizing NHAI for rationalized compensation to Concessionaires in case of delays not attributable to Concessionaires for languishing highway projects on BOT mode.

(vi) Securitization of future cash flows in BOT Projects: Granting of permission by NHAI to the Concessionaires of PPP projects which have Toll /Annuity revenue significantly surplus to the repayment obligations to raise subordinate loan on the strength of future surplus cash flows of their operational BOT Road projects

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
27-July, 2017 17:55 IST
CRF for construction, development and maintenance of roads and National Waterways

During its meeting held on 24th May 2017, the Cabinet approved the proposal for earmarking two and one-half percent of Central Road Fund (CRF) for the development and maintenance of National Waterways by reducing the National Highways’ share of CRF cess and for amending the CRF Act, 2000 accordingly.

The distribution of the CRF for development of rural roads, development and maintenance of national highways, railways, development and maintenance of state roads and for development and maintenance of road in border areas are governed by the CRF Act, 2000 amended by the Finance Act, 2016.

The estimated amount of CRF accrual as per Budget Estimate (BE) 2017-18 is Rs.81,250 crore. The funds accrued under the CRF during 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 were Rs. 26,108 crore, Rs. 69,809 crore and Rs. 80,800 crore respectively.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
28-July, 2017 19:47 IST
Shri Rajnath Singh chairs meeting of Home Minister’s Advisory Committee for Andaman & Nicobar

The meeting of Home Minister Advisory Committee for Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar was held here today under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh. The Union Territory was represented by Dr. Jagdish Mukhi, Lieutenant Governor, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament and other Members.

The members had suggested 60 agenda items relating to different fields of development and security in the Islands of Andaman & Nicobar. The status on Risk and Hardship allowance to Fire Service personnel, release of pending payment under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and constitution of Committee on land matters were informed in the meeting.

Keeping in view the tourism potential of the islands, issues such as development of tourist circuits and opening of more islands for tourism were discussed. The members raised the issues pertaining to construction of roads and bridges and it was informed by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) that in the last 6 months, projects worth Rs. 800 crore approx have been sanctioned for development of National Highways in A&N islands and construction of two bridges at Humphrey Strait Creek and Middle Strait have been started. It was also informed that MoRTH is in process of declaring 6 State Highways as National Highways.

In the shipping sector, the issues that were raised by the members included augmentation of shipping facilities and setting up of ship repairing yard/dockyard & ship wrecking yard. It was decided to strengthen the local shipyard/dockyard and improve the infrastructure facilities at port and harbour. 14Ships has been ordered to augment the existing fleet of ships.

The issues related to Civil Aviation were also discussed in the meeting including introduction of flights on International route via Port Blair. It was informed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation that it is exploring the possibilities of starting international operations to/from Port Blair. It was also mentioned that the airfare has come down drastically because of the increase in number and frequency of flights to Port Blair. Works have been started for development of existing airport as International airport which is likely to be completed by 2020.

The other items that were discussed during the meeting included revision of Minimum wages, filling up of Group ‘B’ & ‘C’ posts from the candidates belonging to A&N, establishment of AYUSH hospitals, implementation of Shekhar Singh Commission report and setting up of cold storage.

Shri Rajnath Singh thanked the Members for the extremely fruitful and detailed deliberations. He expressed hope that the decisions taken during today’s meeting will be implemented in a time bound manner. The Union Home Minister directed the MHA officers and UT administration to expedite the pending issues and also follow up the issues pending with other Ministries. He also said that the administration of Union Territory should take initiative in implementation of Government of India’s flagship programmes. Being administered by the Central Government, the UTs should take the lead role and set example for the other States in this regard, he added.

Other participants of the meeting included Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Minister of State (Home), Shri Rajiv Gauba, Officer on Special Duty (Home), Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, MoUD and senior officers from MHA and other Ministries viz. Civil Aviation, Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

***

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
31-July, 2017 16:07 IST
Proposal for Conversion of Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway as NH

The proposal for conversion of Bengaluru – Mysuru Highway in Karnataka as National Highway has been cleared by PPPAC Committee on 31st May, 2017 and the draft CCEA note is submitted to Ministry of Finance for approval. An amount of Rs. 16.74 crore has been sanctioned for carrying out maintenance work for improvement of the road. The estimated capital cost of this project is Rs. 6420.80 crore. Bids have been invited for procurement of executing agency. Construction work will take about 30 months to complete from the appointed date after completion of tendering process and finalization of agency.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
31-July, 2017 16:06 IST
Widening of NH 24 from Delhi to Hapur

The widening work of NH-24 from Delhi to Hapur has been awarded in three packages; namely

(i) Package-I: Nizamuddin Bridge to UP Border,

(ii) Package-II: UP Border to Dasna, and

(iii) Package-III: Dasna to Hapur.

The scheduled date of completion for package –I and Package-III is June, 2019.The contract agreement for Package-II has been signed on 17th April, 2017. The completion date is 910 days from date of start/appointed date. For UP border to Dasna stretch, diversion of forest land has been approved.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
31-July, 2017 16:06 IST
Public Investment Board Clears the Phase-1 of Bharatmala Pariyojana

The Public Investment Board has cleared the proposal for BHARATMALA Pariyojana Phase-I in its meeting held on 16 June 2017. CCEA proposal on the same is currently under inter-ministerial consultation. The total length of road to be constructed under BHARATMALA Pariyojana Phase-I is 24,800 Km with the following details:



Economic Corridors - 9,000 Km

Inter-corridor & feeder Routes - 6,000 Km

National Corridors Efficiency Programme - 5,000 Km

Border & International connectivity roads - 2,000 Km

Coastal & port connectivity roads - 2,000 Km

Expressways - 800 Km

Remaining National Highways under National

Highways Development Project (NHDP) - 10,000 Km



This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.


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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
31-July, 2017 16:05 IST
Highway Projects in North Karnataka

Total 13 works amounting to Rs. 7216 crore are presently in progress in North Karnataka. These are scheduled to be completed between December, 2017 to March 2019. 8 works at an estimated cost of Rs. 1090 crore are proposed to be sanctioned during the current year.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

*****

 

[deep.ocean]

2 years ago Modi ji also laid foundation of widening of NH24, and projects estimated duration was of 30 months. But still no progress after 24 months passed. Just laying foundation would not help.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
01-August, 2017 16:56 IST
Major push to Highways Sector in the country under Bharatmala

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is all set to construct a total of 24,800 km of National Highways under the proposed Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana. The Public Investment Board has already cleared the proposal for Bharatmala Pariyojana and CCEA proposal for the same is under inter-ministerial consultations, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

He also informed that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has identified 208 sites for construction of Road Over Bridges (ROB) on National Highways under a separate Setu Bharatam Scheme of Ministry. He further added that the Ministry has launched an Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS) for inventory and condition survey of bridges on all National Highways across the country which has already completed survey of 1,62,022 bridges including 1,26,233 culverts.

In a separate written reply, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya informed the House that at present, 1457 number of Highway development projects covering a length of 45,830 km with an estimated cost of Rs. 4,03,249 crores are under execution in the country.

There are delays in some of the projects mainly due to problems in land acquisition, utility shifting, non-availability of Soil/Aggregates, Poor performance of contractors, Environment/ Forest/Wildlife Clearance, ROB & RUB issue with Railways, Public agitation for additional facilities, Arbitration/contractual disputes with contractors etc.

In this regard, regular meetings are held with project developers, state governments and contractors in Head Quarter as well as in Regional Office. To expedite completion of these projects various steps are also taken which include streamlining of land acquisition & environment clearances, exit for equity investors, premium re-scheduling, close coordination with other Ministries, revamping of dispute resolution mechanism, frequent reviews at various levels .

****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
03-August, 2017 17:30 IST
Approval of Expressways Under NHDP-VI

The Government has approved a plan for constructing one thousand kilometers of Expressways under NHDP Phase-VI. These include sections of high density corridors of Vadodara-Mumbai (400 km), Delhi-Meerut (66 km), Bangalore-Chennai (334 km), Delhi –Jaipur (261Km ), Delhi-Chandigarh (249 Km), Kolkata-Dhanbad (227 Km) and Delhi-Agra (200 km).

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also given ‘in-principle’ approval to carry out feasibility study for development of Expressways of other corridors namely; Delhi-Ludhiana -Amritsar-Katra Expressway (Delhi-Chandigarh Expressway modified as Delhi-Ludhiana -Amritsar-Katra Expressway), Hyderabad-Vijayawada- Amravathi Expressway, Nagpur-Hyderabad-Bangalore Expressway, Kanpur- Lucknow Expressway and Ring road- Expressway at Amravathi.

In addition, the Government has approved Eastern Peripheral Expressway (135 km) outside Delhi. Presently, the works for Delhi-Meerut Expressway (three packages out of four packages) and Eastern Peripheral Expressway (six packages) are in execution stage with awarded civil works cost of Rs. 3888 crores and Rs. 4418 crores respectively. The main criterion for selection of Expressway corridors is the traffic volume.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
03-August, 2017 17:29 IST
Upgradation of State Highway No. 57

The NH-334-B that starts from Bahalgarh in Haryana and connects Bagphat- Meerut in Uttar Pradesh has been entrusted to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for its development and maintenance. At present, this is a 2-lane NH standard road in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, this NH was handed over by the state Govt in May, 2017. In the month of July 2017, Uttar Pradesh state Govt. submitted the NOC for declaration of this road as new NH.

Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Bahalgarh-Haryana/Uttar Pradesh border stretch has been taken up by NHAI. DPR from the Haryana/Uttar Pradesh border to Baghpat-Meerut stretch is at initial stages of preparation of Inception Report by UP PWD. DPR for the Delhi-Sharanpur stretch is also at initial stages of preparation of Inception Report by the UP PWD.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
03-August, 2017 17:28 IST
Widening of Roads in Northern India

Three hundred ninety seven National Highways, projects amounting to Rs. 1,29,704 Crore, and having length of 14974 km are ongoing in Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi, connecting districts and major cities.

There have been delays in some of these projects mainly due to problems in land acquisition, utility shifting, non-availability of soil or aggregates, poor performance of contractors, environment, forest or wildlife clearance, ROB & RUB issue with Railways, public agitation for additional facilities, arbitration/contractual disputes with contractors etc. In this regard, regular meetings are held with project developers, State Governments and contractors in headquarter as well as in Regional Office. To expedite completion of these projects various steps are also taken which include streamlining of land acquisition & environment clearances, exit for equity investors, premium re-schedulement, close coordination with other Ministries, revamping of dispute resolution mechanism, frequent reviews at various levels etc.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
03-August, 2017 17:07 IST
NHAI invites private participation for developing amenities along national highways

Persons with more than 1 hectare land along NH can participate

Shri Gadkari unveils logos of NHAI’s wayside amenities:

Highways Village and Highways Nest

The National Highways Authority of India has started the process of developing wayside amenities at land acquired at 183 locations along national highways. The amenities will provide rest and refreshment for highway commuters during their journey. There would be parking for cars, buses and trucks, restaurant/food court, dhaba, fuel station, minor repair shop, rest rooms for passengers, dormitories for drivers, kiosks for sale of miscellaneous sundry items etc at these sites. The facilities having an area more than 5 acres will be developed under the brand name “HIGHWAY VILLAGE” and facilities on smaller area less than 5 Acres will be developed with brand name “ HIGHWAY NEST”

The Minister of Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari unveiled the logo for “HIGHWAY VILLAGE” and “ HIGHWAY NEST”in New Delhi today. Speaking on the occasion he informed that the ministry plans to develop a network of amenities at every 50 km distance on the national highways. So more than 1000 such amenities would need to be developed across the country.

Shri Gadkari further informed that out of the 183 sites available with NHAI, bids have already been invited for 34 sites. The due date of receipt of bids for these sites is 21.08.2017 and 27.09.2017. He said NHAI is also in the process of inviting bids for 30 more sites by the end of August 2017, and for the remaining sites by end of September 2017.

NHAI has called for private participation on franchise basis. Private land owners/ persons having minimum land area of more than 1 hectare abutting the national highways can join hands with NHAI under the brand name “HIGHWAY NEST” to develop wayside amenities as a franchise of the authority. The persons will develop the facilities as per standard layouts and designs of NHAI . For this NHAI has developed three-customizable proto-types of these facilities. These are Type-1 - comprehensive facility for passengers and heavy vehicle drivers; Type-2 -facility targeting passengers only and Type-3 facility targeting truck drivers only.

The private entity will be assisted in getting free access permission to the facility, assistance in land use conversion etc. along with co-branding, logo and signage, and will be required to sign a service level agreement with NHAI.

Shri Gadkari called on individuals owning land along national highways to come forward and participate in the endeavour. The Minister said that these wayside amenities would not only benefit the highway commuters, but also the local population. The sites will promote local handloom and handicrafts by having shops selling these items. Local cuisine can be made available at the eateries in these sites. Green plantations at the sites can be developed with the help of the local people. About 20 lakh people will get direct and indirect employment from these sites. All in all, the development of these sites will bring economic development to the villages along the highways.

Also speaking on the occasion Chairman NHAI Shri Deepak Kumar said that expression of interest from persons having land parcel more than 1 Ha. abutting national highways for development of wayside amenities is being invited by NHAI on 04.08.2017 onwards with due date of receipt of the bids on 21.09.2017 in the office of the respective Regional Offices of NHAI. The document is being uploaded on NHAI website; www.nhai.org and e-tender portal; etenders.gov.in and the same can be downloaded by the interested applicants and may be submitted in the office of the concerned Regional Officer of NHAI of the concerned state by 20.09.2017. However, any suggestions/ queries may be communicated by 30.08.2017 to the officials of NHAI . The pre-bid meeting with the interested applicants has been scheduled on 31.08.2017.

Secretary Road Transport and Highways Shri Y.S Malik said that the development of the wayside amenities would go a long way in making highway travel convenient for people. He said these wayside amenities will henceforth form an integral part of highways.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
10-August, 2017 16:24 IST
Toll Collection on National Highways in the current financial Year

314 number of stretches of National Highways, with a total length of 20,652 km are under toll collection. State-wise details of the toll collected (Revenue part) in the current financial year 2017-18 as on 30th June is given below:-

S No
State/Uts
Toll Revenue Collected (in Crores)

1
Andhra Pradesh
207

2
Telangana
72.49

3
Bihar
90.17

4
Gujarat
318.65

5
Jammu & Kashmir
16.23

6
Jharkhand
70

7
Karnataka
137.07

8
Maharashtra
79.64

9
Madhya Pradesh
57.12

10
Odhisa
79.09

11
Punjab
53.44

12
Rajasthan
317.57

13
Tamil Nadu
209.32

14
Uttar Pradesh
321.3

15
West Bengal
158.65

16
Kerala
1.14

17
North-East
11.09


Total
2199.97



This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
10-August, 2017 16:21 IST
Conversion of State Highways to NH in Telangana


State roads totalling a length of 879 km have been declared as new National Highways in Telangana during the last three years. The details of amount sanctioned for development of NHs entrusted with State Government of Telangana during the last three years are as follows:-

(Amount in Rs. Crore)

2014-15
2015-16
2016-17

720.75
203.05
2731.96




In addition, one work of 99 km length with total capital cost of Rs. 1905 crore has been sanctioned by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) during the last three years in Telangana. The details of allocation of funds and expenditure for development of NHs entrusted with the State Government of Telangana during the last three years are as follows:-

(Amount in Rs. Crore)

2014-15
Allocation
Expenditure

210.79
210.79

2015-16
Allocation
Expenditure

661.00
657.10

2016-17
Allocation
Expenditure

515.00
358.43



The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways considers declaration of some state roads as new NHs from time to time depending upon requirement of connectivity, inter-se-priority and availability of funds.


This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
10-August, 2017 16:20 IST
Improvement of 44 Economic Corridors under Bharatmala

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has done comprehensive and scientific study of traffic flow across the country and identified 44 Economic Corridors of aggregate length of 26,200 for development or improvement under Bharatmala Pariyojana. These corridors carry high volume of traffic. Under the Phase–I of Bharatmala Pariyojana, it is proposed to develop 9,000 km of Economic Corridors. NHAI has awarded or is in the process of awarding thirty consultancy packages for preparation of DPR of about 9,300 km roads included in Bharatmala Pariyojana comprising Economic Corridors, Inter Corridor, Feeder Routes, International Connectivity and Coastal Roads.

This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
10-August, 2017 16:17 IST
Central Road Fund


The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways allocates funds to the States/ Union Territories (UTs) for development of State Roads (non Rural Roads) and Roads of Economic Importance and Inter State Connectivity (EI&ISC) as per the provisions of the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 amended by the Finance Act from time to time.

The funds for development of State roads under CRF scheme are allocated to the States/UTs on the basis of 30 percent weightage to fuel consumption and 70 percent weightage to the geographical area.

For works taken up under CRF scheme, one third of annual allocation of the State/ UT is released for utilization against sanctioned work and this amount is maintained as a reserve by replenishing the expenditure from subsequent releases; subsequent releases of funds are made to the States/ UTs based on submission of Utilization Certificates (UCs) of previous releases subject to the condition that the total amount released for any State/ UT during the year does not exceed the total allocation for that year in respect of that State/ UT and the amount of unspent balance of previous years’.

The funds for State Roads under EI & ISC Schemes are allocated keeping in view the committed liabilities, progress of works, inter-se priority, etc.

For EI & ISC works, the direct payment procedure applicable for National Highway (NH) works is followed; the funds are released directly to the contractors by the Ministry’s Regional Offices (ROs)/ Engineering Liaisons Offices (ELOs)/ Regional Pay and Accounts Offices (RPAOs) based on the bills received/ processed.

The State/ UT-wise details of the CRF accrual and release and allocation and release/ expenditure under EI&ISC schemes during the last three years are as follows :

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS( a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3985 ANSWERED ON 10.08.2017 ASKED BY SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE AND SHRI RAHUL KASWAN REGARDING CENTRAL ROAD FUND

The State/UT-wise details of the CRF accrual and release during the last three years

(Amount in Rs. crore)
Sl. No.
States/UTs
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17

Accrual
Release*

Accrual
Release*

Accrual
Release*

1.
Andhra Pradesh

225.15
#73.12

137.51
178.13

348.72
347.17

2.
Arunachal Pradesh

48.36
55.00

53.21
20.53

131.11
56.69

3.
Assam

52.59
42.44

58.44
46.34

144.08
94.03

4.
Bihar

73.73
83.36

81.70
80.88

200.46
169.70

5.
Chhattisgarh

89.32
0.00

99.73
84.13

247.30
97.12

6.
Goa

6.34
2.41

6.69
7.52

17.08
30.06

7.
Gujarat

162.26
110.42

178.81
61.05

445.09
132.08

8.
Haryana

73.73
73.73

80.25
79.45

194.74
167.34

9.
Himachal Pradesh

37.26
0.00

41.00
95.14

100.91
55.41

10.
Jammu & Kashmir

131.87
43.96

145.38
44.42

357.32
81.90

11.
Jharkhand

59.46
17.74

66.29
9.10

164.63
110.55

12.
Karnataka

160.14
170.51

179.98
164.46

450.95
489.63

13.
Kerala

53.65
54.60

60.48
59.88

150.37
158.49

14.
Madhya Pradesh

207.18
180.99

229.11
211.98

566.39
128.80

15.
Maharashtra

269.28
100.00

292.50
432.85

717.66
709.79

16.
Manipur

13.74
13.35

15.12
7.18

37.48
15.60

17.
Meghalaya

16.12
5.14

17.74
5.51

42.57
15.29

18.
Mizoram

12.68
4.23

13.96
4.70

34.18
15.84

19.
Nagaland

10.04
5.95

11.05
0.11

27.42
16.58

20.
Odisha

108.08
123.42

120.37
125.98

295.71
168.76

21.
Punjab

62.89
27.58

68.62
48.22

167.04
71.30

22.
Rajasthan

241.54
286.44

268.08
72.72

663.06
815.83

23.
Sikkim

4.76
1.55

5.23
0.00

12.63
9.39

24.
Tamil Nadu

153.01
155.09

161.95
160.33

392.02
355.12

25.
Telangana

#
#81.84

109.32
108.23

258.81
280.73

26.
Tripura

7.14
6.31

7.85
0.08

19.09
15.05

27.
Uttar Pradesh

209.56
234.26

229.99
227.69

569.23
219.71

28.
Uttarakhand

38.32
25.51

41.87
0.42

103.68
13.67

29.
West Bengal

78.49
85.80

85.77
55.48

210.97
184.01

30.
A&N Island

0.00
0.00

7.00
0.00

16.89
5.04

31.
Chandigarh

2.11
0.00

2.66
0.70

5.81
0.81

32.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli

0.00
0.00

1.34
0.00

3.87
0.00

33.
Daman & Diu

0.00
0.00

1.00
0.00

2.70
0.00

34.
Delhi

22.20
14.59

25.00
0.00

64.12
5.54

35.
Lakshadweep

0.00
0.00

0.00
0.00

0.23
0.00

36.
Puducherry

15.44
15.44

5.00
4.90

10.68
32.80

*-Funds released more than accruals for the year from unspent balance of previous years accrual

#-Against Andhra Pradesh accrual Rs.225.15 crore, Rs.73.12 crore released for the State Andhra Pradesh and Rs.81.84 crore released for the Telangana.


This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.



***

 

[Hindustani78]

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
16-August, 2017 15:59 IST
Cabinet approves procedure and mechanism for Strategic Disinvestment

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of Department of Investment and public Asset Management (DIPAM) for the strategic disinvestment of the following:

(i) For setting up an Alternative Mechanism (AM) consisting of the Finance Minister, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Minister of Administrative Department, to decide on the matters relating to terms and conditions of the sale from the stage of inviting of Express of Interests (Eols) till inviting of financial bid; and

(ii) For empowering the Core Group of Secretaries (CGD) to take policy decisions with regard to procedural issues and to consider deviations as necessary from time to time for effective implementation of decisions of CCEA.

The approval will help in speedy completion of strategic disinvestment transactions.

****

Ministry for Development of North-East Region
16-August, 2017 18:41 IST
North Eastern Cultural and Information Centre to be set up in Delhi: Dr. Jitendra Singh

North East India being given high priority by the Government, says Minister

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that a North Eastern Cultural and Information Centre will be set up in Delhi soon. He was briefing the media here today. He said that this will be a new gift to the people of North East (NE) India. He said that this is in line with the priority being given to North East by the Union Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had allotted a land measuring 5341.75 sqm. (1.32 acre) at Sector-13, Dwarka, New Delhi, at a cost of approx Rs. 6 crore, to North Eastern Council (NEC) for the purpose of construction of North Eastern Cultural and Information Centre. He said that this Centre will act as a cultural and convention/information hub of the North Eastern Region in Delhi. The Minister said that it will be constructed at par with the international standards and will have a library-cum-reading room with material on North Eastern Region, an art gallery showcasing the North East. The project is expected to be completed within 1-2 years and at a cost of approximately Rs. 50-55 crores, he added.

Highlighting the other initiatives, he said that the Ministry of DoNER has created “Venture Capital Fund” for the young Start-Ups and entrepreneurs, who decide to initiate an enterprise in NE region. He also said that, keeping in view the large number of NE students studying in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the foundation stone was laid in JNU in July 2017, for the construction of Barak hostel for accommodating NE students. Similarly, the foundation stone was also laid in Bengaluru University in June 2016, for the construction of a hostel exclusively for girl students from Northeast. Four permanent stalls have also been set up in Dilli Haat to promote North East products, he added.

The Minister said that ‘Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Center for Policy Research and Analysis’ was formally launched at the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), Shillong, as a step towards linking the NEC with institutes of excellence to make it as a state-of-art resource centre. He said that a number of fast-track initiatives have been undertaken in order to make the conditions more conducive and friendly to attract investors from outside. He said that steps are being undertaken for providing better connectivity to this region via rail networks, roads and waterways. He further added that tourism has gained momentum in the North East in the last few years, which is giving boost to the economy there. He also talked about the setting up of Brahmaputra Study Centre in the Guwahati University.

Shri S. N. Pradhan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of DoNER said that the North Eastern Cultural and Information Centre will act as a hub for cultural and convention related activities of North East. He further said that it will be a vibrant national Centre for the international exposition of art and culture. He said that a series of events on North East India will be organized by the Ministry of DoNER later this year.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/629524/modi-lay-foundation-stone-rs.html

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for National Highways projects worth nearly Rs 15000 crores in Udaipur on August 29.

Ahead of PM's visit to Udaipur, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje went to Udaipur to take stock of preparations along with the state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, District in-charge minster Dhansingh Rawat, PWD Minister Yunus Khan, UDH Minister ShriChand Kraplani and Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari.

During his visit, Modi will dedicate the nation 11 completed National Highways projects approximately a length of about 873km including a 6-lane cable stayed bridge across river Chambal in Kota. Apart from that, he will perform Bhoomi Poojan for 6 NH projects of about 556km.

This will be Modi's second visit to Rajasthan during the BJP government and is significant, as the state is going to polls in 2018. His visit comes a month after BJP chief Amit Shah visited Rajasthan and poured praises for Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for her vision on development. Party is hopeful that his visit will bring enthusiasm and zeal amongst the members. State BJP head Ashok Parnami told DH, "This is an important visit of Prime Minister as far as developmental schemes are concerned and at the same time it will build a confidence in the members of BJP party".

Political analysts believe that Modi's visit to Rajasthan will also ease out 'differences' between him and Raje and will send a message that both leaders get along well. "Two years ago when chief minister Raje had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate state’s investors’ summit – Resurgent Rajasthan. Prime Minister skipped the summit and no reason was given by his office for not attending it. His absence created an impression that he is not on the same page with CM. But party members especially Raje's faction are hopeful from his visit." a senior BJP leader told DH.

PM's first visit to Rajasthan during the Raje's tenure was in February 2015 when he inaugurated Soil Health Cards in the state.

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
28-August, 2017 20:23 IST
PM to visit Rajasthan tomorrow; several major highway projects to be inaugurated, and unveiled


The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will visit Udaipur, Rajasthan tomorrow.

He will inaugurate, and lay the foundation stone, of several major highway projects. The total outlay on these projects is estimated to be over Rs. 15,000 crore.

Among the projects being inaugurated are: 6-Lane Cable Stayed Bridge across river Chambal at Kota; 4 Laning of Gomati Chauraha - Udaipur section of NH-8; and 4-Laning of Rajsamand-Bhilwara section of NH-758. Among the important projects for which the Foundation Stone will be laid, is the Jaipur Ring Road.

The Prime Minister will also address the gathering.

The Prime Minister will later visit the Pratap Gaurav Kendra in Udaipur. The Kendra provides information through various exhibits, about the life, valour and achievements of Maharana Pratap, the famous King of the erstwhile kingdom of Mewar.

****

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
29-August, 2017 15:42 IST
PM inaugurates, lays foundation stone for several major highway projects at Udaipur; visits Pratap Gaurav Kendra


The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today inaugurated, and laid the foundation stone, of several major highway projects at Udaipur in Rajasthan.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said he is delighted to be in the "Veer Bhumi" of Mewar.

The Prime Minister assured people affected by natural calamities, that the Union Government stood by them at this hour of difficulty, and expressed confidence that the people would overcome the challenges, and march forward with even greater vigour.

The Prime Minister said that projects worth over 15000 crore are either being Inaugurated, or initiated (foundation stone being laid) today, in a single function.

The Prime Minister said that infrastructure projects are crucial to the progress of the country. He said India can no longer afford delay in infrastructure projects, especially connectivity projects. He said projects such as roads, infuse new energy in the lives of the people.

The Prime Minister recalled the Golden Quadrilateral initiated by former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and said it benefited farmers by connecting them to markets. He said Rajasthan could benefit a lot from tourism, through better infrastructure connectivity, which would bring in employment.

The Prime Minister spoke about the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, under which LPG connections are being given to rural households, which will especially benefit women.

The Prime Minister said GST had hugely benefited the nation's economy, by eliminating long waiting times at inter-state borders.

The Prime Minister later visited the Pratap Gaurav Kendra, which celebrates the life, valour and achievements of Maharana Pratap, the great King of the erstwhile kingdom of Mewar.


****

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
29-August, 2017 15:44 IST
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates and does Bhoomi Poojan for NH projects worth Rs 15,100 crores in Rajasthan

Long Pending, 6-Lane, Cable Stayed Bridge across river Chambal at Kota inaugurated

Shri Gadkari says Centre to spend Rs 2 lakh crores in the next 5 years for building National Highways in Rajasthan

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said that his government is fully committed to timely completion of work. The PM was speaking at an event in Udaipur in Rajasthan today to mark the inauguration and Bhoomi Poojan for National Highways projects worth Rs 15,100 crores in the state. Shri Modi inaugurated 12 National Highways projects worth Rs 5610 crores and did Bhoomi Poojan for 11 projects worth Rs 9490 crores.

Speaking on the occasion the Prime Minister expressed happiness that his Government had managed to complete highways projects in the state that had been pending for years together. Stressing upon the role of infrastructure for development, he said these highways will help farmers, give a boost to tourism and open up economic opportunities for the local people. He said these highways would not only help link Rajasthan more efficiently but would also be gateways to progress.

Among the projects inaugurated today is a 6-Lane Cable Stayed Bridge across river Chambal at Kota . Built at a cost of Rs. 278 Crores, this bridge marks the completion of the East-West corridor. The construction of the bridge was stuck since 2006. This bridge will now enable heavy vehicles to bypass Kota city, thus bringing down pollution and traffic congestion. The bridge design is also friendly for wildlife, ensuring minimum noise pollution for them.

The other projects that were inaugurated include 4 laning of Gomati Chauraha - Udaipur section of NH-8 at a cost of Rs. 1129 Crore, 4-laning of Rajsamand-Bhilwara section of NH-758 at Rs. 1360 Crores, Nagaur Bypass to Netra village on NH-65 at a cost of Rs. 301 Crores and 48 road safety projects at a cost of Rs. 381 Crores.

The 11 projects for which Prime Minister did the Bhoomi Poojan include 4-Laning of Bar-Bilara-Jodhpur section of NH-112 at Rs. 1249 Crores, 6-Laning of Kishangarh-Gulabpura section of NH-79A and 79 - Rs. 1184 Crores, 6-Laning of Gulabpura-end of Chittorgarh section of NH-79 - Rs. 1378 Crores, 6-Laning of Chittorgarh to Udaipur section of NH-76 - Rs. 1223 Crores 6-Laning of new Udaipur Bypass on NH-8 - Rs. 726 Crores., 6-Laning from Udaipur to Rajasthan / Gujarat Border section of NH-8 - Rs. 1616 Crores, Jaipur Ring Road - Rs. 1668 Crores, 2-Lane paved shoulders section of Balotra to Sanderao (Pkg - II) of NH-325 - Rs. 178 Crores,2-Lane paved shoulders section of Balotra to Sanderao (Pkg - III) of NH-325 - Rs. 164 Crs, 4-Lane CC road with safety imp. in Jhalawar city of NH-12 - Rs. 80 Crores, 2-Lane ROB and its approaches on NH-709 ext. near Sadulpur Rly. Stn. - Rs. 24 Crores.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Nitin Gadkari,Minister of Road Transport and Highways announced that the Centre plans to spend Rs 2 lakh crores in the next 5 years for building National Highways in Rajasthan. Shri Gadkari pointed out that the state of Rajasthan had just 7498 km of National Highways till June 2014. This length has nearly doubled to 14465 km in the last three years under the present Government. The number of NH in the state have gone up from just 35 in June 2014 to 85 at present.

Shri Gadkari further informed that National Highways construction work worth Rs 10, 430 crores have been completed in Rajasthan since 2014. This includes 44 large projects totalling 1938 km length . The prominent projects include 4 laning of 244 km Beawar- Pali-Pindwara section of NH 14, 4 laning of 88 km Deoli- Kota section of NH 12, 4 laning of Gomti- Udaipur section of NH 8 , 4 laning of Rajsamand - Bhilwara section of NH 758 and six laning of Kishangarh- Ajmer- Beawar section of NH 8.

Shri Gadkari announced that further NH work worth Rs 50,000 crore would be completed very soon . This includes 132 km Jaisalmer - Barmer section of NH 15 by November 2017, 107 km Barmer-Sachaur section on same highway by February 2018 and 204 km Uniyara- Gulabpur section of NH148 (D) and 160 km Bikaner-Falaudi section of NH 15 by April 2018. He further said that DPR for the highway from Swarupganj- Dungarpur- Banswara to MP border on NH 927( A) was ready . He also said that the work on six lane Delhi-Jaipur highway is 90 percent complete and work on Falaudi- Jaisalmer section on NH 15 is proceeding fast. A 195 km greenfield expressway will also come up between Delhi and Jaipur. This will start from Kherki Daula in Gurgaon, connect with Dwarka Expressway, then, going via Pataudi, it will connect with NH 8 at Chandwaji near Jaipur. Feasibility study for this project is being done.

The Prime Minister was earlier welcomed by Rajasthan Governor Shri Kalyan Singh and Chief Minister Smt Vasundhara Raje . Speaking on the occasion The Chief Minister said that based on PM's vision, Rajasthan is doing its part for ushering in a new India. She said Rajasthan has embraced the mantra of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas and is focussing on education, Digital India, Make in India and building a Swachcha Bharat.

Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs who was also present on the occasion said that the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was committed to unifying the country through development and good governance.

Also speaking on the occasion Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Union Minister of State for Ministry of I&B said that India has grown and developed at an unprecedented pace in the last three years, and we need to work in a unified and concerted manner to continue this pace.

*****

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi being received by the Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalyan Singh and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, on his arrival, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi being received by the Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalyan Singh and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, on his arrival, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the inauguration & laying of foundation stone of various major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017. The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari is also seen.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the inauguration & laying of foundation stone of various major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the inauguration & laying of foundation stone of various major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017. The Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalyan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri P.P. Chaudhary and the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore are also seen.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the inauguration & laying of foundation stone of various major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017. The Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalyan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri P.P. Chaudhary and the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore are also seen.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of several major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017. The Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalyan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri P.P. Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri C.R. Chaudhary and the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore are also seen.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of several major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017. The Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalyan Singh, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Shri P.P. Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri C.R. Chaudhary and the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore are also seen.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivering his address after inauguration and foundation stone laying for several major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivering his address after inauguration and foundation stone laying for several major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivering his address after inauguration and foundation stone laying for several major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari addressing at the inauguration and foundation stone laying for several major highway projects, at Udaipur, in Rajasthan on August 29, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi leaving for Delhi from Udaipur on August 29, 2017.