26,425 km of Highway Projects Awarded Under Bharatmala Pariyojana: Nitin Gadkari

The Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme has made significant progress, with highway projects spanning a total of 26,425 km awarded and 18,714 km constructed as of October 31, 2024, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Launched in 2017, the Bharatmala Pariyojana aims to improve connectivity and reduce logistic costs across the country by covering a total of 34,800 km.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari revealed that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invested Rs 4.72 lakh crore under the scheme as of October 30, 2024. He also mentioned that under the Port and Coastal Connectivity Roads category, 18 projects, totalling 424 km, have been awarded, with 189 km completed so far.

These projects are designed to provide vital connectivity to major and minor ports across various coastal states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Additionally, Nitin Gadkari stated that 190 projects, covering 3,856 km and costing Rs 81,540 crore, are currently under construction on National Highways (NHs) in the Northeastern region. "All the under-construction works are scheduled to be completed by September 2028."

For the financial year 2024-25, a total allocation of Rs 19,338 crore has been made for NH works in the Northeastern region. Gadkari assured that steps have been taken to expedite the completion of these projects, which include streamlining land acquisition and revamping the dispute resolution mechanism.

"Close coordination is taking place with concerned Ministries and state governments and regular reviews are carried out at various levels to speed up work. Approval of change of scope and extension of time proposals are also being expedited," he added.