Nitin Gadkari: Centre Builds 18,000 Kilometers of Roads, Major Claim in Rajya Sabha
It was a commitment made in 2017. Seven years have passed since then. During this period, the central government has built 18,714 kilometers of roads across the country, claimed Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.
He mentioned that the government has decided to construct 26,425 kilometers of roads, with the financial allocation already set.
Under the Bharatmala project, the Centre has already completed the construction of 18,000 kilometers of roads.
In order to revolutionize the transportation system and reduce costs, the government has decided to build a total of 34,400 kilometers of roads under the Bharatmala scheme. A total of ₹4.72 lakh crore has been invested by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in this entire project, Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha.
He further mentioned that the Centre has announced 18 projects to maintain connectivity with ports. Under these projects, 424 kilometers of roads will be constructed, of which 189 kilometers have already been completed. This Bharatmala project connects the major states and cities of the country. It is being implemented in eight states, including Gujarat and Maharashtra. West Bengal is also included in the list.
Nitin Gadkari also informed that the Centre aims to complete all road construction works under this project by 2028. In this context, Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, stated, “In the last decade, the transportation network has increased by 1.6 times. In 2014, the total national highways in the country were 91,000 kilometers, and now they have reached 1,45,195 kilometers.”
