Government approves Rs 50,655 crore investment for eight new highways to achieve the goal of Developed India 2047 | Mint

The government on Friday approved the construction of eight new highways at a total cost of Rs 1,000 crore. India has decided to spend Rs 50,655 crore as part of its efforts to become a developed country by 2047.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the project, aimed at developing infrastructure across the country, has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vaishnaw said the eight new highways, with a total length of 935 km, will span various economic corridors and are expected to boost industrial development.

Vaishnaw said these highway projects would require minimal land acquisition by utilising existing land and would generate employment of 44 million man-days.

The new access-controlled expressways designed for high-speed traffic with regulated access will be in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

With assembly elections due in Jharkhand and Maharashtra later this year, approval of road projects worth more than Rs 150 crore could be delayed. The Rs 50,000 crore matter is of great political importance.

The approved projects also include a 68-km long ring road in Ayodhya. Construction of 121 km ring road in Guwahati at a cost of Rs 3,935 crore The 88-km long Agra-Gwalior corridor will be built at a cost of Rs 5,729 crore. Rs 4,613 crore and 231 km long Kharagpur-Morgram corridor Rs 10,247 crore

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This also includes the 214 km long Tharad-Disa-Mehsana-Ahmedabad corridor A 137km stretch between Pathalgaon and Gumla will be constructed at a cost of Rs 10,534 crore. A 47-km ring road will be constructed around Kanpur at a cost of Rs 4,473 crore. A 30-km elevated corridor will be built between Nashik Phata and Khed at a cost of Rs 3,298 crore. Rs 7,827 crore

Vaishnaw said these projects were approved after analysing the data from the PM Gatishakti portal and will play a vital role in the country’s economic growth.

He said states will also be involved in the development of these highway projects. “The Centre will build ring roads in Ayodhya and Guwahati after consultation with the states,” he said.

To promote religious tourism to the Ram temple, a 68-km-long ring road in Ayodhya will be developed under hybrid annuity mode, while a 121-km-long four-lane ring road in Guwahati will be developed under build-operate-toll mode.

The four-lane Kharagpur-Morgram high-speed corridor will run for 231 km and cost Rs 1,000 crore. Vaishnaw said the project costs Rs 10,247 crore and will provide connectivity between West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and the north-eastern part of the country.

Six-lane 214 km long Tharad-Deesa-Mehsana-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor, cost Rs 1.5 crore The project, costing Rs 10,534 crore, will connect the Amritsar-Jamnagar and Delhi-Mumbai corridors, increasing cargo movement efficiency to major ports in Maharashtra, including the new Vadhavan port.

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The central government will build a 137-km long four-lane highway between Pathalgaon and Gumla in the Raipur-Ranchi corridor. Rs 4,473-crore project to improve connectivity between mining and manufacturing areas in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Vaishnaw said Uttar Pradesh will get another six-lane greenfield ring road around Kanpur. The road will be 47 km long and will cost Rs 1,000 crore. Rs 3,298 crore

The government will build a 30-km-long eight-lane elevated corridor between Nashik Phata and Khed in Maharashtra. Vaishnaw said the government has launched a Rs 7,827-crore project to facilitate cargo transportation between industrial areas around Pune and Nashik.