Govt. targets 1,15,435 km road network

Setting an astounding targets to build a huge road network across the country, the government has decided to build 1,15,435 kms of road and highways at an investment of Rs.6,92,324 crore across 35 states and Union Territories under various government schemes during the proposed Phase-I culminating by 2021-22. Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Mansukh Lal Mandaviya said that the money would come from Gross Budgetary Support including national highway share of Central Road Fund cess, toll remittance, expected monetization of national highways through Toll-Operate-Transfer route, market borrowings by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and private sector investment. Similarly, the estimated share of private sector investment and expected monetization through Toll-Operate-Transfer route during this period are about Rs.1,06,000 crore and about Rs.34,000 crore, respectively; which together form about 20.22% of total estimated fund requirement. Out of the targeted network, 10,668 kilometres national highways have been sanctioned for states of Himachal, Punjab , Haryana, Chandigarh, and Jammu Kashmir as 2,642 kilometres national highways have been sanctioned in Himachal Pradesh 2,641 kilometres in Haryana, 2,601 km Jammu & Kashmir and 2,769 km in Punjab, he added.