The construction rate of National Highways has gone up by seven times since the BJP assumed charge at the Centre and road projects worth Rs 5 lakh crore are in the offing, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here today.
"Our government has speeded up the construction of highways by seven times," said the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister after laying foundation stones of two road projects here in Ambala district.
Stating that the BJP-led Centre is building highways at a pace of 14-km per day while the previous Congress regime laid only two kms a day, Gadkari said NH works worth Rs five lakh crore would be generated in the next five years providing employment opportunities to 50 lakh youths.
In Saha, Gadkari today laid foundation stones of 326.40 km long three national highway projects including four-laning of Yamunanagar to Barwala section of NH-73, Hisar to Dabwali section of NH-10 and Ambala to Kaithal section of NH-65.
Flanked by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state Ministers, MPs, MLAs among others, the Union minister also announced that road projects worth Rs 25,000 crore would be initiated in the state by December 2015.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister said that after the formation of BJP government at the Centre and in Haryana, about 90 per cent of national highway projects involving an investment of Rs 3.80 lakh crore got impetus and projects costing Rs 16,000 crore were in progress.
Ring roads would be constructed for Panchkula-Chandigarh and Mohali, Ambala City as well as Ambala Cantonment and Karnal, he said adding that a three-km long elevated highway would be built at Badshahpur in Gurgaon.
Announcing construction of a new expressway connecting Haryana, Punjab as well as Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Minister said that instructions have been issued to prepare a detailed project report for the same.
Also eight new national highways were announced by the Union Minister including Bhiwani-Mundhal-Jind-Meerut, Hisar-Adampur-Mansa-Bathinda, Jind-Safidon-Panipat, Titram Mod Kaithal-Hisar-Rajgarh Rajasthan Border, Pehowa-Kurukshetra -Yamunanagar, Khangesra-Kala Amb, Yamunanagar-Paonta Sahib and Ambala-Saha-Shahbad.
