india

Updated: Jan 03, 2019 09:27 IST

Of the 700 ongoing national highway (NH) projects in India, the central government has completed over 40% in the last four years.

According to ministry of road transport and highways, in a two-day exercise to review the ongoing projects in the country, more than 300 projects were identified to be over by 2019, achieving the highest ever construction in financial year 2018-19.

The total length of NHs increased from about 91,287 km in 2014 to about 131,326 km at present followed by the central decision to declare about 39,040 km length of state roads as new NHs. The transport ministry has also approved in-principle declaration of about 53,031 km of state roads as new national highways.

In the current financial year, 5,759 km of highways have been constructed till November 2018 as against 4,942 km during the corresponding period last year. A total of 2,105 km was awarded till November as against 2,927 km during the same period, last year.

“The ministry’s focus is to ensure that pre-construction activities are substantially completed before award of projects,” said the transport ministry in a statement. The ministry has set a target of constructing 16,420 km and awarding 20,000 km of NHs during the current financial year.

Maharashtra which is transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s home state, witnessed maximum highway construction of 1,214.32 km till November 2018.

Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan constructed 466.95 km, 466.51 km, 414.33 km, respectively. The BJP government constructed 4,410 km in 2014-15 and ended up constructing 9,829 km and awarding 17,055 km in 2017-18.

“Highway construction has definitely improved, one key aspect which led to this was the decision of the government to not award a project unless 80% land is in possession... The average the for completion of projects has come down and that can majorly be attributed to land availability,” said Kushal Singh, partner, Deloitte India.

Gadkari had pegged construction rate at 45 km per day in the current financial year from the current 24 km per day. In a bid to give a boost to its ‘Act East’ policy, the government sanctioned around Rs 190,000 crore worth of projects for the construction of road projects for over 12,000 km in the North-East.