Highway project awards lag behind target, affecting 2024-25 construction pace
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is reportedly considering an ambitious proposal for Bharatmala and working on Bharat Mala 2, a Rs 20 trillion 20-year project. It aims to construct 50,000 km of highways, including 30,000-35,000 km of fenced-off expressways. Despite constructing 4,474 km of national highways from April to October, compared to 4,060 km last year, the full-year target is set at 13,800 km, a 33% increase from the previous year.
The ministry has utilized Rs 1.6 trillion (64%) of its Rs 2.58 trillion capital expenditure allocation, with a goal to reach 91% expenditure by December, anticipating a slowdown in activity during the last quarter due to general elections.