Stating that infrastructure could play a pivotal role in bolstering India's economic growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the government concerted efforts have helped to roll out stuck projects worth Rs 4 lakh crore in the past six months and added that his government has brought in new rules to accelerate the pace of implementing projects.
Showering praise on road transport and highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Modi said that no one has done as much for the roads and highways sector in the past 60 years as Gadkari has done. Highlighting road projects like Bharatmala and Setu Bharatam, Modi said that these will accelerate the pace of development in the country. Bharatmala will connect 123 districts to national highways while under Setu Bharatam project, the government will be building over 400 new bridges.
PM said that the government has undertaken several initiatives and is committed to take 24x7 power to every village by 2022. The government will not create highways but also create modern era, I-ways (Information Ways). Besides, four road projects worth Rs 20,000 crore to decongest Delhi have been approved. Three road projects including western peripheral expressway (stuck since 2006), eastern peripheral expressway (stuck since 2009) and eight-laning of highway section from Mukarba Chowk (Delhi) to Panipat have finally been rolled out having total length 341 km.
Furthermore, the government will soon start work on Delhi-Meerut expressway, which will cost about Rs 6,500 crore. The project will be awarded only through the newly conceived hybrid annuity model, under which the government will share cost with private player.