| The ambitious target involves almost 50 per cent of the entire phase -V. |
| The decision, taken recently by an infrastructure panel led by the prime minister, means the start of the programme's fifth phase, which was cleared by the Cabinet late last year. |
| The prime minister had last year stressed the need for six-laning of more highways. |
| Subsequently, the Ministry of Roads and Highways moved the Cabinet for approval of the programme's fifth phase, which envisages six-laning of 6,500 km of four-laned highways. Some of these stretches are part of the Golden Quadrilateral routes. |
| The prime minister had recently blamed corruption for the poor quality of roads. Experts say under such a scenario, though the work would be awarded during the current fiscal, when the phase gets completed, remains to be seen. |
| Sample this. Phase II of the NHDP, which envisages upgrade of national highways connecting North-South and East-West, is only 11 per cent complete. Under the ongoing phase III-A, only 30 km highways have been upgraded, compared with the proposed upgrade of 4,000 km highways. |
| Moreover, the government got phase-V cleared before phase-IV, which involves two-laning of 20,000 kms of roads in far-flung areas. Phase-IV is still on paper. |
| Under such a scenario, sources say it will be interesting to see how the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) proceeds with the six-laning of national highways. |
| In fact, the infrastructure panel also approved awarding of work for four-laning of around 1,000 km national highways under phase-III B of the NHDP during 2007-08. This involves four-laning of 6,000 km highways. |
| Phase III-B was cleared by the Cabinet earlier this year. With the infrastructure committee clearing award of work under this phase, it marks the beginning of this phase too, along with phase-V. |
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