Govt. targets 2 lakh-km roads, 12 e-way projects

The transport ministry plans to develop 2 lakh km of highways and 12 expressways across the country, said transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, adding that the progress in the road sector is currently growing at 28 km per day in this fiscal and targeted building 40 km per day in 2018-19. The government has signed work award contracts for projects valued at Rs.850,000 crore for roads, ports, shipping and water resources. In Karnataka's context, apart from launching mega highways expressways worth Rs.23,000 crore, the centre is also developing the Karwar port in Karnataka as the Centre would spend Rs.3,000 crore on projects if the state government agreed to give the required land. Advocating waterways as a means of cheaper logistical option the government called upon the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to form a joint venture to manufacture seaplanes. There is a need for 10,000 seaplanes over the next two years to ferry people and goods across the country.