Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Monday that the road network in the country would be developed on a par with the United States of America by the end of year 2024.
The United States witnessed a fast-paced development due to good roads. Good roads bring in investment and create employment opportunities, he said.
He was speaking at the launch of five national highway projects, covering 238 km, worth Rs 3,972 crore in Belagavi.
Gadkari said, by 2024 India will have roads on par with America.
“Every development was connected with roads. Hence, the Union government was committed to comprehensive development of the road network in the country. Bharatmala-2 scheme will have new road projects and many that could not be taken up in the first phase too would be included.
Works for 9,000-km-long greenfield national highways, including Bengaluru-Chennai road, are being undertaken in the country for which more than Rs 3 lakh crore would be spent. On these highways, vehicles can clock a maximum speed of 120 km per hour. Bengaluru-Chennai travel would come down under three hours, he said.
Gadkari asked the government to acquire lands along the national highways and establish smart villages to decongest Bengaluru and also establish industries. State governments should acquire lands even before investors lay hands on them and sell them to the government at higher rates.
Jal Shakti work
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the state government would implement ‘Jal Shakti’ works on the Pune-Bengaluru national highway from Kittur to Nippani in Maharashtra border, and create water bodies along the national highway for improvement of underground water table.
He said, Gadkari has got watershed projects implemented in Maharashtra wherein national highway works were taken up and mud was excavated for the works. Pits generated due to excavation have been used to create lakes and ponds. We shall commence the works from Belagavi and government orders in this regard will be issued soon.
Development of Jal Shakti projects along highways in the state will give a new dimension for development, he added.
Lauding Gadkari for fast-tracking highway projects, Bommai said, “As Public Works Minister in Maharashtra, Gadkari drew national attention o by constructing more than 58 flyovers and had shown how funds could be mobilised for developmental projects. Mumbai-Pune expressway too was his brainchild. Earlier it used to take years to get roads upgraded to highways, but after he assumed office in New Delhi, the process has been expedited, Bommai added.
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