Govt allowing highway construction after April 14

In order to kick start the economic activities across the country, the Union government is all set to allow road and highway construction work from April 15 onwards. The Union minister of transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has called upon the officers to work out strategies to restart the road building work on a massive scale. Highway sector building is set to get a stimulus and the ministry is actively pursuing the matter with the PMO. An announcement on this score is expected in the next couple of days, Nitin Gadkary was quoted as saying in a video-conference with his officers. About 50-60% labourers or building staff can be found at giant mission websites across the country. Gadkari has additionally requested his officers to quickly resume the award of contracts. The ministry has now to restart the provision chain and the moment the development exercise resumes, the whole chain, together with cement, steel industries will start operating at full steam. The minister has also requested his officers to award new contracts within the first quarter of FY21, so that construction activities will pick up on expected lines. Most of the new projects are being awarded on the engineering, procurement, building (EPC) mode, Meanwhile, the state cabinet in Meghalaya has already decided to allow road and highway construction work including projects under MGNREGA while strictly adhering to social distancing and other government protocols.