NEW DELHI: Following a high-level review meeting on roads by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Union Cabinet has approved several highway projects including some in the north-eastern region while also observing that expansion of the Jorabat-Umiam section of NH-40 into four-lane has made good progress.
According to official sources, even within the initial months, there is 13 per cent progress in physical work on the section. But the more encouraging fact is that as much as 83 per cent of land acquisition for the mega road project has been completed considering the fact that land is the major hurdle for such work, mainly in this part of the country, sources said.
The 61.92-km road project would cost Rs 824 crore which is being funded by the NHAI.
The Prime Minister during the review meeting had called for upgrading the quality and length of the national highway network and said the emphasis should be put on projects in North-East, Jammu and Kashmir and Naxalite-infested areas.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has set a target of awarding 7,300 km roads for this fiscal, a good part of which would focus on these parts of the country.
While asking the Road Ministry to exceed the target it has set for this year, the Prime Minister also asked it to prepare a shelf of projects of around 10,000 km and a detailed project reports for another 15,000 km. While the country has 70,934 km national highways network work is in progress on 10,142 km as of March-end.
Dr Singh also stressed upon the need to ensure that public are not inconvenienced when new works are being undertaken and that alternate roads and detours should be safe and adequate to handle the traffic.
In the Cabinet meeting, the Government cleared two major highway projects in Arunachal Pradesh to provide necessary links to the north-eastern trans Arunachal highway. The two projects in Arunachal Pradesh costing Rs 3,556 crore involved two laning of 407 km stretch from Potil to Pangin at a cost of Rs 2032 crore and another stretch from Nechipu to Hoj at a cost of Rs 1524 crore, Union Minister Ms Ambika Soni said after the meeting.
While Nechipu to Hoj road link would improve internal connectivity of western districts with Itanagar, the Potin-Pangin will improve internal connectivity in eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh with Itanagar.
The two road projects will be on BOT (annuity) basis and will help in hydro-power projects being built in the State and provide road links in border areas.
One road project for Orissa was also cleared in the meeting on Thursday.