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

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
22-March, 2018 18:22 IST
Basic Amenities on NHS

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is planning to provide basic wayside amenities at every 45-60 km length of National Highways. The amenities will include 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. targeting specific road users as Type-I comprehensive facility for passengers and heavy vehicle drivers, Type-2 facility targeting passengers only and Type-3 facility targeting truck drivers only.

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

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
22-March, 2018 18:17 IST
GPS System in Vehicles

Ministry of Road Transport and Highwayshas issued notification G.S.R 1095(E) dated 28.11.2016 mandating the provision of a vehicle location tracking device and one or more emergency buttons with effect from 1stApril, 2018 in public service vehicles except two-wheelers, E-rickshaw, three wheelers and any transport vehicles for which permit is not required under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.

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

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
22-March, 2018 18:16 IST
KMP Highway

The construction of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Highway(KMP Expressway) is being done by the Government of Haryana.However, the cost of land acquisition, utility shifting, project preparation etc.for both Eastern Peripheral Expressway (executed by National Highways Authority of India) and Western Peripheral Expressway (KMP Expressway) is to be borne by the Government of Delhi, Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of Haryana in the ratio of 50:25:25 respectively.The workof Manesar- Palwal stretch has already been completed and the work of Kundli-Manesar section of KMP Expressway has been awarded with scheduled completion date as Feb, 2019.

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

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
22-March, 2018 18:14 IST
Private Sector Investment on Tot Model

As per approved Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) of BharatmalaPariyojana the base case scenario is to take up 60 % of projects under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) and 10 % under BOT (Toll) and remaining on Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) Mode.

Government of India has approved Toll Operate and Transfer (TOT) model under which the Public funded projects operational for two years shall be put to bid wherein the right of collection and appropriation of fee shall be assigned for a pre determined concession period (30 years) to Concessionaires (Developers/Investors) against upfront payment of a lump sum amount to NHAI. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) obligation of such projects shall be with the concessionaire till the completion of the concession period. Projects to be undertaken in the TOT model are to be treated as Public-private-partnership (PPP) projects.

The first bundle of TOT projects comprising of 9 project stretches aggregating to a length of 680km has already finalised and Letter of Award(LOA) has been issued. Apart from TOT Bundle-I, NHAI has also identified stretches of approximate length of 1640 kms under TOT in which condition survey and traffic studies is under progress.

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



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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
22-March, 2018 16:53 IST
NHAI awards contract for Tumkur-Shivamogga Section of NH-206 in Karnataka

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued Letter of Award (LOA) for development of Tumkur-Shivamogga Section of NH-206 in the state of Karnataka on Hybrid Annuity Mode. The 4-laning of about 220 km long Tumkur – Shivamogga section is divided into five packages. Contract for 3 Packages have been awarded as per the following details :



NH No.
Section
Length
Total Capital Cost
Concessionaire’s Name

NH-206

Four Laning of Tumkur-Shivamogga Section from Km 12+310 (Design km 12+300) to Km 66+540 (Design Km 65+195) from Mallasandra to Karadi village

52.895 km

Rs. 979.16 crore

M/s Ashoka Concessions Limited.



NH-206

Four laning of Tumkur- Shivamogga Section from Km 66.540 (Design Ch. 65.195) to Km 119.790 (Design Ch. 121.900) from Karadi to Banwara

56.705 km

Rs. 1225.24 crore

M/s Ashoka Concessions Limited.




NH-206

Four Laning from Km 119+790 (Design Km 121+900) to Km 166+100(Design Km170+415) from Banavara to Bettadahalli

48.515 km

Rs. 1065.06 crore

M/s. Sadbhav Infrastructure Project Ltd



52.895 km long Package-I of Tumkur-Shivamogga Section starts from Mallasandra village and ends at Karadi village. The project comprises of development of 52.895 km of project length to 4-lane divided carriage way with 1.5/2m paved shoulder with flexible pavement. The concession period is 17.0 years including construction period of 2.0 years. The project will have 1 major bridge, 21 minor bridges, 1 bypass of a total length of 7.742 km, and re-alignment of about 4.805 km.

The 56.705 km long Package-II of Tumkur-Shivamogga Section starts from Karadi village and ends at Banwara village. The project comprises of development of 56.705 km of project length to 4-lane divided carriage way with 1.5/2m paved shoulder with flexible pavement. The concession period is 17.0 years including construction period of 2.0 years. The project will have 21 minor bridges, 3 ROB, 3 bypasses of a total length of 25.995 km and re-alignment of about 5.25 km.

The 48.515 km long Package-III of Tumkur-Shivamogga Section starts from Banavara village and ends at Bettadahalli village. The project comprises of development of 48.515 km of project length to 4-lane divided carriage way with 1.5/2m paved shoulder with flexible pavement. The concession period is 17.0 years including construction period of 2.0 years. The project will have 1 major bridge, 28 minor bridges, 1 ROB, 2 bypasses of a total length of 10.89 km and re-alignment of about 2.675 km.


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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
22-March, 2018 16:52 IST
NHAI awards contract for Khemkaran town to Start of Amritsar bypass project in Punjab

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued Letter of Award (LOA) for development of following national highway section in the state of Punjab on EPC Mode under Bharatmala scheme:



NH No.

Section

Length

Total Civil Cost

Contractor Name




NH-354

(old-SH-21)

Two Lane with paved shoulder /Four-Laning of section Khemkaran town to Start of Amritsar bypass

48.823 km

Rs. 149.90 crore

M/s. Ceigall India Ltd–

Inderjit Mehta Constructions Pvt. Ltd. (JV)


The 48.823 km long Khemkaran town- Start of Amritsar bypass is part of Border Roads designated to NHAI under Bharatmala scheme. The objective of this work is to provide good road network access and undertake development of border areas. The project comprises of development of 13.138 km of project length to 4-lane and 35.685 km to 2-lane with paved shoulder with flexible pavement. The contract period is 550 days including O&M period of 4 years. The project will have 1 major bridge, 6 minor bridges, and facility of 18 nos. of bus bays & Shelters.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways23-March, 2018 13:40 IST
NHAI awards contract for National Highway project in Punjab

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued Letter of Award (LOA) for development of following national highway section in Punjab on EPC Mode under Bharatmala scheme.

The work of two-laning with paved shoulder /Four-Laning of Ramdas to Gurdaspur section of NH-354 (old SH-21) has been awarded to M/s. Ceigall India Ltd–Inderjit Mehta Constructions Pvt. Ltd. (JV) at a cost of Rs. 149.49 crore. The length of the stretch is 47.492 km.

The Ramdas –Gurdaspur section is part of Border Roads designated to NHAI under Bharatmala scheme. The objective of this work is to provide good road network access and undertake development of border areas. The project comprises of development of 1.5 km of project length to 4-lane and 45.992 km to 2-lane with paved shoulder in which Flexible Pavement is 37.182 km and Rigid Pavement is 10.31 km. The contract period is 550 days, including O&M period of 4 years.

The project will have 13 minor bridges, an ROB, Realignment of 1.22 Km and 23 bus bays and shelters.

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
23-March, 2018 13:39 IST
NHAI awards contract for National Highway project in Karnataka

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued Letter of Award (LOA) for development of national highway number 4A in the state of Karnataka.

The four-laning of Belgaum–Khanapur Section of about 30 kilometres has been awarded to M/s Ashoka Concessions Limited on Hybrid Annuity Mode at a cost of Rs. 892.16 crore. The two-laning of about 52 kilometres of the Highway on Karnataka/Goa Border with Paved Shoulder has been awarded to M/s Dilip Buildcon Limited on EPC Mode at a cost of Rs. 503.22 crore.

This section of NH-4A is an existing flexible pavement connecting Belgaum, a major city in the State of Karnataka, and Panaji, the State capital of Goa, a major port and an international tourist destination passing through the settlements of Khanapur, Gunji and Ramnagar.

Work includes construction of two major and six minor bridges, and five ROBs, for free movement of traffic in major cross roads and reduce conflicts. Two Bypasses have also been proposed on the stretch. Keeping in view the safety of road users, all major intersections have been provided with 21 Vehicular Underpasses/Vehicular Overpasses/ Light Vehicular Underpasses etc. The project also provides four bus shelters. The concession period of the projects is 17.5 years, including construction period of 2.5 yrs.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
28-March, 2018 17:24 IST
NHAI collaborates with AAI

under Adopt-a-Green-Highway Programme

National Highways Authority of India, NHAI has collaborated with Airports Authority of India, AAI for developing green corridor along Varanasi Bypass covering 16.55 kms of NH 56 and NH 29. A formal Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed towards this between AAI and NHAI today. Airports Authority of India has agreed to provide financial assistance of Five Crore rupees for plantations and maintenance work under their CSR funds for five years.



NHAI and AAI have collaborated under “Adopt a Green Highway Programme” as a CSR initiative of AAI. Adopt a Green Highway Programme is an initiative by Green Highways Division of NHAI to engage Corporates, Public Sector Units, Governmental organizations and institutions under CSR and Public Private Partnership for developing green corridor along National Highways.



This collaboration will encourage other PSUs and Corporates to utilize their CSR funds for Greening of Highways and creation of ecological assets.

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
28-March, 2018 17:23 IST
NHAI awards contract for national highway project in Telangana

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued Letter of Award (LOA) for development of following National Highway section in Telangana on EPC Mode/Hybrid Annuity Mode under NH(O)/Bharatmala.



NH No.
Section
Length (km)
Total Capital Cost(Rs. in crore)
Concessionaire’s Name

NH-161
Four laning of NH-161 from Kandi (Design Km 0.000) (Km 498.250 of NH-65) to Ramsanpalle (Design Km 39.980/Existing Km 44.757) (Design Length = 39.980 Km) under Bharatmala Pariyojna on EPC Mode

39.980

1201.62

GKC Projects Limited


NH-161
Four laning of NH-161 from Ramsanpalle village (Design Km 39.980/Existing Km 44.757) to Mangloor village (Design Km 86.788/Existing Km 91.350) (Design Length =46.808 Km) under Bharatmala Pariyojana on Hybrid Annuity Mode.

46.608

1220.83

KNR Constructions Pvt. Ltd.


NH-161
Four laning of NH-161 from Mangloor village (Design Km 86.788/Existing Km 91.350) to Telangana/Maharashtra Border (Design Km 135.751/Existing Km 140.873) (Design Length =48.963 Km) in the State of Telangana under Bharatmala Pariyojana on Hybrid Annuity Mode.

48.963

1082.65

Dilip Build Limited

NH-363
Four laning of NH-363 from Repallewada (Design Km 42.000 /Existing Km 288.510) to Telangana/Maharashtra Border (Design Km 94.602/Existing Km 342.000) (Design Length = 52.602 Km) in the State of Telangana under NH(O) on EPC mode

52.602

988.47

GKC Projects Limited



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[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam at the inauguration of the Two-Day National Conference on ‘Safer Road Transportation to Promote National Tourism’, in New Delhi on March 29, 2018.

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam at the inauguration of the Two-Day National Conference on ‘Safer Road Transportation to Promote National Tourism’, in New Delhi on March 29, 2018.

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam addressing at the inauguration of the Two-Day National Conference on ‘Safer Road Transportation to Promote National Tourism’, in New Delhi on March 29, 2018.

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Alphons Kannanthanam addressing at the inauguration of the Two-Day National Conference on ‘Safer Road Transportation to Promote National Tourism’, in New Delhi on March 29, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
31-March, 2018 18:18 IST
A record achievement by NHAI - Projects of 7,400 km worth Rs. 1,22,000 crore awarded in Financial Year 2017-18

In Financial Year 2017-18, NHAI has awarded 150 road projects of 7,400 km worth Rs. 1,22,000 crore. In last 5 years, the average length of road projects awarded by NHAI was 2,860 km with 4,335 Km awarded in the last financial year. In comparison, the length of projects awarded in FY 2017-18 is an all-time high and a record achievement by NHAI since its inception in 1995.

Tendering and awarding projects picked up only after the sanction of ambitious Bharatmala programme and subsequent new procedure for sanction being put in place in November 2017. Under the new protocol, the NHAI board was delegated full powers for sanctioning EPC projects. Following that high powered Projects Appraisal Committee and Cost Committee were put in place in NHAI.

During this drive, post Bharatmala, 232 projects were put on tenders involving around 11,200 km of road length costing more than Rs. 1,96,000 crore. To expedite land acquisition, a number of retired officers were employed and strong monitoring mechanisms were put in place. But for delay in land acquisition in some states, the award figures could have been still higher. It is expected that projects of around 3,000 km shall be awarded in the first two months of the next FY 2018-19.

Out of the total projects awarded, 3,791 km length was awarded on EPC mode at a cost of Rs. 43,000 crore; 3,396 km was awarded on Hybrid Annuity mode at a cost of Rs. 76,500 crore and 209 km on Toll mode at a cost of Rs. 2,500 crore.

The projects awarded include 1,234 km in Rajasthan; 739 km in Maharashtra; 747 km in Odisha; 725 km in Uttar Pradesh; 511 km in Tamilnadu; 504 km in Andhra Pradesh; 468 km in Karnataka 449 km in Gujarat; 389 km in Madhya Pradesh; 331 km in Haryana; 232 km in Bihar; 201 km in Jharkhand; 189 km in Telangana; 126 km in West Bengal; 120 km in Punjab; 100 km in J&K; and balance in other states.

With the above jump in work awards, NHAI has given a good beginning for ambitious “Bharatmala Pariyojana” approved by the Government in Oct., 2017, which is to be implemented with a very stiff target of 5 years (2017-18 to 2021-22).

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[Hindustani78]

President's Secretariat
02-April, 2018 15:24 IST
Officer trainees of Central Engineering Service (Roads) and Central Public Works Department call on the President

Separate groups of officer trainees of the Central Engineering Service (Roads) and Central Public Works Department together called on the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, today (April 2, 2018) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Addressing the officer trainees, the President said that their services provide them an enormous platform for serving the nation. All of them would be literally engineering the country’s growth and development. This should be the primary reason for celebrating their success in the Engineering Services Examination.

The President said that as future leaders of our infrastructure projects, the officer trainees should practice engineering with a social conscience. For instance, they must ensure that the public infrastructure they build – be it offices, residences or roads – is accessible to our differently abled fellow citizens. While formal codes in this regard may exist, projects on the ground need to do more to ensure ease of access. This aspect should not be treated as an add-on to an infrastructure project but should become integral to planning and implementation.

The President said that as young engineers, they are all aware of the ills of climate change and the benefits of energy efficiency. All of them must ensure that buildings, roads and other infrastructure they create are energy efficient and environment friendly. He was happy to note that CPWD has taken initial steps towards construction of Net Zero Energy green buildings. It should strive to ensure that green buildings become the norm. He was confident that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways too shall continue to accord increasing importance to environmental aspects while undertaking projects.

The President said that the officer trainees have joined institutions that provide them a unique opportunity to serve the nation and touch the lives of millions of fellow citizens each day. If they ever doubt what they can do for the nation and society, they should simply think of stalwart technocrats like Shri M. Visvesvaraya and Shri E. Sreedharan. Like them, the officer trainees should nurture a spirit of innovation and emerge as solution providers in the midst of challenges.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
03-April, 2018 16:51 IST
Twenty per cent growth recorded in Construction of National Highways

Shri Nitin Gadkari announces adoption of international system of counting of Lane Kilometres

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that over 9829 kilometres National Highways were constructed during the year 2017-18. This represents 20 per cent growth over the last year, when 8231 kilometres were constructed. 17055 kilometres road length was awarded in the year, against 15948 kilometres last year. Expenditure of Rs 1,16,324 crore was incurred on construction of National Highways during the year 2017-18.

Addressing media in New Delhi today, the Minister announced adoption of international system of counting of Lane Kilometres from the coming Financial Year onwards. He said, the ministry has so far been calculating construction of National Highways in linear length, which did not truly reflected the amount of work completed.

Shri Gadkari informed that the work on construction of Eastern Peripheral Expressway is almost completed, and will soon be opened for public. This fully access-controlled expressway has entry and exit points through designated interchanges only. Toll will be collected only for the distance travelled, for which, toll plazas will be equipped with electronic toll collection system. The Minister said, this project worth Rs 4420 crore is going to be completed in a record time of about 500 days, against the targeted 910 days. This will be the first expressway to be fully solar powered. Eight solar power plants of four megawatt capacity have been installed on the expressway. The expressway will reduce pollution and decongest the national capital, as non-delhi bound commercial vehicles will not entre the city.

The Minister also announced that the work on construction of 14-lane highway from Delhi to Dasna, under the ambitious Delhi-Meerut Highway project, will be completed in record time of 15 months, against the targeted 30 months. A cycle track of 2.5 metres on both sides of the highway is a unique feature. Two new 4-lane bridges on both sides of the existing major bridge on river Yamuna will convert it to a 16-lane bridge. This is the first bridge in the country to have vertical gardens with solar system and drip irrigation.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
09-April, 2018 18:03 IST
PM to lay foundation stone for six laning of Aurangabad - Chordaha Section of NH-2 in Bihar tomorrow

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for a National Highways project for six-laning of the 70 km long section of NH-2, extending from Aurangabad in Bihar to Chordaha on Bihar-Jharkhand border at a function in Motihari tomorrow. The cost of the project would be Rs 882 crores.

This section of NH-2 is part of the Delhi – Kolkata section of the Golden Quadrilateral. After widening, it will be have one flyover, 15 underpass, 7 major bridges, 24 minor bridges, 174 culverts, 12 foot over bridges, 26 bus bays, 7 truck lay bays and 2 wayside amenities.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
16-April, 2018 20:58 IST
Shri Nitin Gadkari announces a new highway alignment between Delhi and Mumbai

Prime Minister to inaugurate EPE and Package –I of Delhi-Meerut Expressway on 29thApril

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has announced development of a new highway alignment between Delhi and Mumbai. A sum of one lakh crore rupees will be spent on this expressway. The Minister also disclosed plans for a Chambal Expressway which would be connected to this Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and is likely to benefit states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the backward areas will also shine like Gurugram.

Addressing a media event in New Delhi today, Shri Nitin Gadkari outlined major initiatives of his ministry for de-congestion of Delhi NCR. A total of ten projects are underway costing 35,600 crore rupees. He said, about forty thousand commercial vehicles enter Delhi on a daily basis, which cause increased pollution and congestion in the city state. An ambitious scheme of developing Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways around Delhi was taken up, and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on the 29th of this month. Similarly, to ease traffic in East Delhi, Delhi-Meerut Expressway was envisaged, and its Delhi-Dasna portion will also be inaugurated by PM on 29thApril by a road show.

Shri Gadkari informed that work on signal free corridor from Dhaula Kuan to Airport has been awarded at a cost of 260 crore rupees. He said, eight-lane fully access-controlled Dwarka Expressway is being developed in four packages. While three packages have already been awarded, the work on the Expressway is likely to start in a month’s time. Total investment on the project is 9500 crore rupees. Additionally, under improvement of Mahipalpur at Rangpuri, a bypass is being envisaged to connect Dwarka/ NH8. Regarding development of major junctions on NH8 in Gurugram like the flyover/ underpass at IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower intersection, Rajiv Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk, the Minister informed that the work, costing Rs 1000 crore, has been substantially completed.

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Ministry of Rural Development
16-April, 2018 19:46 IST
PMGSY well on its way to achieve March 2019 target

Roads are primary to any development agenda. PMGSY, since its inception in 2000, has been able to provide connectivity to 1,52,124 habitations (85.37% against 1,78,184 eligible habitations). Sensing the importance and urgency of rural roads for national development the target date for completion of PMGSY-I has been preponed from 2022 to 2019. Working towards this accelerated target, sanctions have been given to 1,66,012 habitations (93%) against the target of 1,78,184 eligible habitations. PMGSY through its all-weather roads has contributed this key ingredient of development to 11,499 new unconnected habitations for the first time in 2017-18.

Less than 1% eligible habitations remain to be sanctioned for new connectivity under PMGSY, remaining 6% habitations are either not-feasible or sanctioned by the States from their own resources. Connectivity has been provided to 1,52,124 habitations (including 16,380 habitations connected by the States). In addition, 2109 habitations of 100-249 population have been connected. Under the program, 5,50,533 kms of road length has been constructed.

This centrally sponsored programme implemented in partnership with the state governments, has seen greater focus and consistent improvement in pace and quality in the last three years. The pace of construction of PMGSY roads reached an 8 year high of 134 kms per day in 2017-18 as against an average of 73 kms during the period 2011 to 2014. A total of 48,751 kms of PMGSY roads, connecting 11,499 eligible habitations have been constructed in 2017-18 at an average rate of 134 kms per day. Year-wise progress is as under:

Year

Length constructed

Rate of construction per day (km)

2011-12

30994.50

85

2012-13

24161.29

66

2013-14

25316.40

69

2014-15

36336.81

100

2015-16

36449.36

100

2016-17

47447.00

130

2017-18

48750.66

134



PMGSY II was launched in 2012-13, so far, 13 states have moved to stage II of the programme. As against a target of 50,000 km, 32,024 km has been sanctioned and 17,705 km road length has been upgraded. Other states are likely to move to PMGSY II in FY 2018-19.

Cabinet has approved a special project for Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremist Areas (RCPLWE) in December 2016. Out of 340 roads of 5,411.81 kms and 126 bridges approved by the Cabinet 268 roads of 4,134.69 km and 181 bridges were also sanctioned in 2017-18. Works in these areas are likely to be completed by 2020. This is over and above the special provision for 100-249 population villages in 267 LWE Blocks, where work is likely to be completed by 2020.

Improving roads, improving lives

PMGSY not only strives to build roads but good quality roads. The in-built frame work of Quality Management mechanism in PMGSY is a combination of in-house quality control measures and independent verification at state and national levels. 39,811 inspections by State Quality Monitors (SQMs) and 9,204 inspections by National Quality Monitors (NQMs) at the National level were done in 2017-18. This intensified Monitoring has impacted Quality grading positively; 13.98% completed roads were graded as unsatisfactory in 2013-14, the quality of roads has improved substantially, in 2017-18 with 7.46% completed roads graded as unsatisfactory. Rectifications are carried on these roads after the inspections to remove all inconsistencies.

Transparency

As a measure of Transparency and Accountability, the scheme has put in place a Citizen Feedback system through the MeriSadak App. In addition to Hindi and English, the App is available in 10 regional languages also. This provides a direct interface with the citizens and this G2C platform enables citizens to provide real time feedback on the implementation of the PMGSY programme. Out of 25,414, complaints/feedback related to PMGSY, final replies have been sent in 24,791(97%) cases.

New Technology; green roads

Use of non-conventional, locally available construction materials (waste plastic, cold mix, fly ash, jute and coir geo-textiles, iron and copper slag, cell filled concrete, paneled cement concrete etc.) and “Green Technologies” have been encouraged for climate resilient roads in PMGSY. There has been wide acceptability of these technologies. In the last few years, 33,888 km of road length has been sanctioned and 17,785 km of road length has been constructed. During the financial year 2017-18, a record length of 6,313 kms has been constructed using green technologies. Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand are using this in building green PMGSY roads.



Key Priorities for PMGSY for financial year 2018-19

All eligible habitations under PMGSY-I are targeted to be completed by March 2019. Accordingly, Ministry has set a target of construction of 61,000 kms road length by providing connectivity to 19,725 habitations during the financial year 2018-19. Similarly, a target of about 12,000 kms has been set for construction of roads using green technologies. During the financial year 2018-19, about 8,670 inspections of National Quality Monitors and 35,630 inspections of State Quality Monitors are targeted to be completed.

Community Contracting initiative in Rural Roads.



Maintenance of roads assets created under PMGSY is a big focus for the Ministry and through various advocacy workshops etc Rural Road Maintenance policies have been framed for 23 States. Maintenance software eMarg used in MP will be replicated in all states to streamline maintenance systems of rural roads.

A pilot was initiated by the Ministry to involve SHGs in roads maintenance. Uttarakhand Rural Roads Development Agency (URRDA) under the guidance of National Rural Roads Development Agency (NRRDA) initiated Community Contracting for “Off-Carriageway Maintenance” in rural roads through the registered all Women Mahila Mangal Dal (MMD). Community contracting for roads maintenance is not only used as a tool for empowerment of women, it also empowers the community to maintain roads especially in hilly terrains. This model has been successfully tried in Badwani District of MP as well.



Use of IT



Satellite imagery is being used to verify the completion of road length being reported by States on the programme software i.e. OMMAS as well as to verify habitation connectivity. The work of GIS has commenced in all the Districts in the 28 States and GIS has been completed in 19 States. Further use of geo spatial technology for mapping rural roads built under PMGSY are being geo mapped using remote sensing technology, through NRSC and CGARD –NIRD.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
17-April, 2018 17:52 IST
Shri Nitin Gadkari sets Award and Construction targets for the Road Ministry

Over 16000 km of NH to be constructed and 25 per cent higher more NH works to be awarded this year

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that the Road Transport & Highways Ministry has fixed a target of awarding works for around 20,000 kilometres length of National Highways during the current year 2018-19. This is about 25 per cent more than the 17055 kilometres awarded during 2017-18, of which, 8652 kilometres were awarded by the Ministry, 7397 by NHAI and 1006 by NHIDCL.

The construction targets for 2018-19 have been set at 16,420 km, of which 9700 km will be constructed by MoRTH, 6000 km by NHAI and 720 km by NHIDCL. 9829 kilometres length of National Highways were constructed during 2017-18. Per day construction target has been set at 45 km for the current year, against last year’s about 27 km per day.

Shri Gadkari said, his Ministry is making all out efforts for improving and strengthening the Highways network in the country. This year the focus would be more on construction, but the award would be more than last year. There will also be focus on completing the DPRs of all the “Ïn Principle” declared NHs.

Shri Gadkari held a review meeting of officials of his Ministry today in which the state wise status of projects were reviewed. He said that yearly targets should be divided into Quarterly Targets so that there is no pressure at the end of the year. Chairman NHAI has created a Monitoring Group under him to complete ongoing projects. A similar group is being created in the Ministry.

To see the status of projects state wise, please click the link below.

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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
17-April, 2018 16:20 IST
Shri Nitin Gadkari emphasises upon need for reduction in logistic costs to increase exports

Launches study report on Insurance Requirements of the Indian Logistics and Warehousing Industry and their Customers

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that reduction in logistics cost can substantially increase the country’s exports. He said, the government is concentrating on road improvement, reducing traffic density and introduction of alternative sources of fuels for the transport sector. All highways with over ten thousand PCU road density are being upgraded to four lanes, those with over twenty thousand PCU traffic units to six lanes and those with over thirty thousand PCU to eight lanes.

Launching the joint study report on Insurance Requirements of the Indian Logistics and Warehousing Industry and their Customers in New Delhi today, the Minister informed that his Ministry has understood the need for bioethanol to fully cater to the gasoline blending demands of the nation. There is a potential for producing around 30 billion litres of ethanol annually from surplus agro-residues in the country. He also highlighted the importance of logistics and collection models suited for the country.

The research study has been conducted by Transport Corporation of India and the Insurance Institute of India. It aims at providing an academic base for the Logistics and Warehousing Industry to educate their customers on utilising the full potential of insurance mechanism. It is understood that the report will help the logistics industry to protect their business interests in a better way.

To see a copy of the study report please click the link below.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
19-April, 2018 18:58 IST
GoM on Transport deliberates upon One Nation- One Tax and One Nation- One Permit in Guwahati today

Recommends uniform Road Tax structure and National Permits for buses and taxis

The Group of Ministers on Transport constituted by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has recommended a uniform structure of road tax for vehicles across states. In its meeting held in Guwahati today, the GoM observed that a uniform tax structure will put a check on people registering their vehicles in low tax states and running them in other states. This would also bring necessary relief to genuine cases requiring transfer of vehicles.

The GoM, headed by Shri Yunus Khan, Minister for Transport, Rajasthan and comprising State Transport Ministers, seeks to find solutions to the various problems plaguing the road transport sector in the country so as to improve road safety and facilitate ease of transport. Today’s meeting in Guwahati, inaugurated by Assam Chief Minister Shri SarbanandaSonowal,was held to deliberate upon One Nation- One Tax and One Nation- One Permit proposal.

The GoM has also recommended a national bus and taxi permit on lines of such permit for goods transport. Public transport in the country is growing annually at a rate of just about 2 percent, as against a 20 percent annual growth in private transport. A national permit will give the much needed fillip to public transport and help reduce road congestion and its attendant problems.

In order to promote alternate fuel for vehicles the GoM had proposed liberalization of permit system for electric vehicles. In addition, it has recommended raising the tax on diesel vehicles by 2 percent while lowering the tax on electric vehicles.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
23-April, 2018 14:13 IST
India Exploring Signing of MoU with South Korea for Road Information System

Shri Gadkari Inaugurates the 29th National Road Safety Week

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that India is exploring an agreement with South Korea for introduction of Highways Information System in the country. This would be developed on lines of the system run by the Express Highways Information Corporation of South Korea, with integrated monitoring of a highway at a centralized control room.

Inaugurating the 29th National Road Safety Week in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan today, the Minister spelt out the ministry’s priorities in ensuring safety of road users in the country. He informed that he has fixed a target of bringing down the number of road fatalities to half from the around 1.5 lakh accidental deaths reported when he took over. Shri Gadkari said, though progress has been achieved in this respect, he is still not satisfied and aspires to keep working in this direction.

The Ministry organizes the Road Safety Week every year to create awareness among general public and improve upon the safety of road users. This year, Road Safety Week is being organized from 23rd to 29th of April and the focus is on schools and commercial drivers. Addressing the participants Shri Gadkari requested that every student be made a road safety ambassador for his family and for the society. Various activities have been organized for school / college students, drivers and all road users.

The Minister gave away awards to fifteen school children who won the national level essay competition on road safety. The top three winners were given cash prizes of Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 and a certificate each. Shri Gadkari also administered the road safety pledge to all those present on the occasion.

Outlining the initiatives and steps taken to improve vehicle safety and overall road safety, the Minister said his ministry has adopted the 4E principles of Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency care to address the problem of road safety. For ensuring vehicular safety, the standards of buses have been upgraded, air bags and speed alert device have been made mandatory for all cars, and every two-wheeler will have ABS to avoid skidding. He said, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, passed by Lok Sabha is waiting to be cleared by Rajya Sabha. This bill comprehensively promotes safety on the road. It would also promote the development of an efficient, seamless and integrated multi-mode public transport system.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has launched a scheme for setting up of Driving Training Centre to provide quality training to commercial vehicle drivers, improve road and environment safety and strengthen overall mobility on roads. 789 road accident black spots have been identified on NHs of which 139 black spots are rectified, work on 233 black spots are awarded and in progress. Ministry had issued guidelines for taking up of Road Safety Audits on National Highways either as part of all new projects. Detailed Road Safety Audits in a length of 610 km have been sanctioned on National Highways in last two years. Installation of crash barriers at accident prone locations on National Highways in Hilly Terrain has been sanctioned in a length of 183 Km at a cost of Rs 108.25 crore.

Shri Gadkari also released a paper on road safety by Indian Road Safety Campaign. IRSC is a youth led national mission promoting road safety, led by students and alumni of IIT Delhi. It is currently working on creating awareness on road safety, developing technologies, simplifying laws and improving the post-accident emergency care system. IRSC organizes an annual road safety championship called as the Safer India Challenge in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and various state polices involving the youth to come up with innovations in this area. The Safer India Challenge’18 was launched on the occasion. In addition to this the Minister also released a short story collection on road safety theme entitled “Have a safe journey”



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The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Yudhvir Singh Malik is also seen.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari releasing the publications, at the inauguration of the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Yudhvir Singh Malik is also seen.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari presenting the awards to the winners of the National Essay Competition on Road Safety-2017, at the inauguration of the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari presenting the awards to the winners of the National Essay Competition on Road Safety-2017, at the inauguration of the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari presenting the awards to the winners of the National Essay Competition on Road Safety-2017, at the inauguration of the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari addressing at the inauguration of the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari addressing at the inauguration of the 29th National Road Safety Week 2018, in New Delhi on April 23, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Finance
24-April, 2018 15:32 IST
Government of India and World Bank Signs Agreement to Improve Rural Road Network in Madhya Pradesh

The Government of India, the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the World Bank today signed a $210 million loan agreement for the Madhya Pradesh Rural Connectivity Project. The Project is expected to improve the durability, resilience and safety of the gravel surfaced rural roads and enhance the capacity of the state to manage its rural roads network.

The Project will cover 10,510 km stretch of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh that fall under the Chief Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana (CMGSY) program. Of this 10,000 km will be upgraded from existing gravel to bituminous surface roads, while 510 km of new roads will be built to the same bituminous surface standard.

"Government of India is making all efforts to ensure that communities in the most remote areas across the country are connected through a road network. All weather road connectivity is crucial for economic growth, especially in the rural areas,” said Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. “The Madhya Pradesh roads project will enhance rural road connectivity in the state which will open up opportunities for economic development and access to social services for beneficiary communities in the state and help in reducing poverty.”

The agreement for the Project was signed by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; Shri Pankaj Jhawar, Chief General Manager, Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority on behalf of the Government of Madhya Pradesh; and Mr Hisham Abdo, Acting Country Director, World Bank India, on behalf of the World Bank.

“This project will leverage resources to support innovations in road construction, improve road safety, and reduce carbon footprint in the transport sector by mainstreaming climate resilient technology in road design and construction,” said Mr Hisham Abdo, Acting Country Director, World Bank India. Gravel surfaced roads are more prone to washouts than paved roads during flood seasons. This project will undertake resilience measures such as surface sealing of roads, embankment pitching, and balancing culverts to prevent damages caused by extreme flood events.

The transport sector is one of the most significant emitters of greenhouse gases. Alternate sealing options for road construction like polymer modified asphalt, asphalt blended with plastic waste, and multiple surface treatment to be piloted on approximately 20 percent of the length will not only be more cost-effective but will also reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector.

This project, on a pilot basis, will engage women self-help groups (SHG) in the post construction maintenance activity. This will involve routine maintenance of off-carriage way parts of the road, while the main carriageway maintenance will remain part of the original contractor’s contract. The SHG members will be trained through the project, and their work will be directly supervised and managed by the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority (MPRRDA) field offices. In fact, a direct maintenance contract will be executed between the SHG group and MPRRDA for 3-5 years.

Recognizing that road safety is a critical issue, the project will strengthen road safety management systems with the objective of reducing fatalities and serious injuries from road accidents.

The project will focus on improving road accident data collection and analysis at central and state levels through implementation of the Road Accident Database Management System (RADMS); strengthen road safety capacity at the central level; and focus on training.

The state will pilot a comprehensive Road Safety Program (PCRSP) in districts with most fatal and serious injuries recorded in the recent past. It plans to undertake a bottom-up approach by engaging and empowering local communities to develop customized solutions to improve road safety.

“The Project will benefit the rural people residing in very small villages in Madhya Pradesh. The construction of sealed roads under the project will help reduce transport costs, improve road safety and minimize post-harvest losses for farmers by ensuring transport services in all seasons. The project will also help in reducing pollution and increase access to jobs, markets, schools and health facility for the rural population thus reducing the migration towards urban areas. It will implement a range of contracting and institutional reform measures and update standards and specifications, with a particular emphasis on road safety,” said Shri Pankaj Jhawar, Chief General Manager (MPRCP), Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
26-April, 2018 17:06 IST
Shri Gadkari Seeks Cooperation and Innovation from Industry Leaders for Reducing Road Accidents

Inaugurates Workshop with Industries on Road Safety Industry and Business Bodies Come Forward to Provide Training and Medical Care for Drivers

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that road safety is a matter of national concern, and only active cooperation of all stakeholders can reduce the number of road accidents and related fatalities in the country. Inaugurating a Workshop with Industries on Road Safety in New Delhi today, the Minister noted with concern that India has the world’s largest number of deaths due to road accidents. He called upon industry leaders and other stakeholders to take a pledge to help bring the number of fatalities down by 50 percent. Shri Gadkari said that in the last few years all stakeholders including the corporates, automobile manufacturers, NGOs and the governments have made collective efforts in this direction, resulting in a small reduction in the number of deaths due to road accidents, but a lot more needs to be done in this regard.

Outlining the initiatives and steps taken to improve vehicle safety and overall road safety, the Minister said his ministry has adopted the 4E principles of Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency care to address the problem of road safety. For ensuring vehicular safety, the standards of buses have been upgraded, air bags and speed alert device have been made mandatory for all cars, and every two-wheeler will have ABS to avoid skidding. He said, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, waiting to be cleared by Rajya Sabha, comprehensively promotes safety on the road. It would also promote the development of an efficient, seamless and integrated multi-mode public transport system.

Laying a lot of stress on improved road engineering, Shri Gadkari said that his Ministry has identified 789 black spots on national highways across the country and these are being rectified on a priority basis. He called upon the corporates to come forward in identifying more such black spots in the country so that these too can be rectified. He also called upon them to come up with technology that can ensure better and safer roads for the users. In addition to this, the Minister solicited the cooperation of the corporate houses for getting health check-ups done for drivers.

Addressing the workshop, Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda emphasized upon the triple principals of Law, Awareness and Enforcement. He insisted upon behavioral, cultural and environmental changes for avoiding accidents. The Minister outlined his ministry’s initiatives on first respondent training, organ donation, etc. He informed that in order to reduce mortality and morbidity occurring due to road traffic injuries, his ministry is implementing “National programme for Trauma Care” with a focus on improving pre-hospital, hospital & rehabilitative services for injury victims. He said, National Injury Surveillance (NIS), Trauma Registry and Capacity Building Centre have been established at Dr. RML Hospital. NIS has been connected to eight Government Hospitals of Delhi for collection of injury related data. Under NHM, support is also being provided for more than 8,800 Dial-108 ambulances which is predominantly an Emergency Response System (ERS), primarily designed to attend to patients of critical care, trauma & accident victims etc.

The workshop is being conducted as part of MoRTH’s Road Safety Week. It is being attended by senior representatives from leading industry and business bodies including ASSOCHAM, FICCI, CII, SIAM, Uber, Ola, etc. FICCI has committed to undertake road safety awareness campaigns in schools. It has instituted road safety awards, entries for which will soon be invited. A walkathon will be organized between Delhi and Chandigarh. 8000 members of CII committed for enforcing helmet discipline in their premises. They also offered to conduct medical check-ups for commercial drivers and improve road safety. ASSOCHAM representative pointed out the need to improve road infrastructure in hilly areas, and assured their commitment to work with the government. SIAM is creating a strong database of accidents for providing road safety through better analysis of the causes. It has also promised to triple its driver training output. Uber India has committed to provide medical and eye care to 4.5 lakh driver partners in the next six months, while Ola has promised to provide similar facilities to one million drivers in three years.

The Ministry organizes the Road Safety Week every year to create awareness among public and improve upon the safety of road users. This year, Road Safety Week is being organized from 23rd to 29th of April and the focus is on schools and commercial drivers.



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The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari and the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri J.P. Nadda releasing the publication at the inauguration of the workshop on industries issues on Road Safety, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari addressing at the inauguration of the workshop on industries issues on Road Safety, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018.

The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri J.P. Nadda addressing at the inauguration of the workshop on industries issues on Road Safety, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey releasing a handbook on Prevention of Accidents and Awareness of First-Aid, on the occasion of ‘Road Safety Week’, at a function, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Preeti Sudan and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey administering the ‘Pledge’ on Road Safety, on the occasion of ‘Road Safety Week’, at a function, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018.

The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey addressing on the occasion of ‘Road Safety Week’, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Preeti Sudan and other dignitaries are also seen.