Govt revises budget of 1,120 km national highways to Rs 6,461 crore

Under the National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project (NHIIP) programme, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved development of 1,120 km national highways in states of Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan and West Bengal with an estimated cost of Rs 6,461crore.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that the works for the development of two-lane standards fall under Phase-I of NHIIP with World Bank assistance. The proposal was initially approved for Rs 5,193 crore and it revised to Rs 6,416 crore, the cost has increased due to higher bid prices and increase in cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities.

Further, the projects have already taken up for implementation and 429 km roads completed and the civil works are expected to be completed by July 2019 and maintenance works by July 2024. The project will ensure safe, fast and all weather movement of traffic on the proposed National Highways, mostly located in backward regions, thereby boosting socio-economic development. Besides, government has set a target of 25,000 km of National Highways to be awarded in 2016-17 as against the 10,000 km awarded in 2015-16. The construction target has been set at 15,000 km as against the 6,000 km constructed last year.