New Delhi | Projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore that include highway projects worth Rs 60,000 crore are underway in Punjab, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday.
Road Transport, Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development Minister Gadkari was addressing a rally at Phagwara in Punjab during laying of the foundation stone for Rs 165-crore road project.
“Projects worth Rs One lakh crore are underway in Punjab at present which include road projects of Rs 60 thousand crore and irrigation projects of Rs 40 thousand crores,” Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement here quoting Gadkari.
The minister laid the foundation stone for an elevated structure and vehicular underpass (VUP) on NH-44 at Phagwara City in Kapurthala district of the state.
The length of this six-lane project is 2.555 km, approximate cost is Rs 165 crore and the project is aimed at reducing road accidents and pollution by easing road congestion.
Gadkari said that corruption free, transparent and good quality work is the focus of his ministry, and to get contracts for any road no one has to come to Delhi as the whole system is online, the statement said.
He added the government is emphasising on concrete roads as their life span is better. The minister said the elevated structure and vehicular underpass at Phagwara was a long pending demand of the people of the area, which has been fulfilled and work on the project will start next month and will be completed in a year’s time.
“Gadkari said that till year 2014 the length of National Highways in Punjab was 1,739 km. This has increased to 3,778 km in 2018,” the statement said.
He said, 21 big projects have been completed in the state between 2014 and the present, at a total cost of Rs 10,500 crore, under which 1,250 km of NH have been constructed.
The minister said that work on 845 km NH is underway at a cost of Rs 13,400 crore and it will be completed by 2019-2020.
He announced that under Setu Bhartam Yojna ten Railway Over Bridges will be constructed at Barnala, Nangal, Bathinda, Amritsar, Firozpur, Faridkot, Jalalabaad and Kotakapura.
Earlier, interacting with students at GNA University Phagwara, the Minister emphasised on research in the area of bio-fuel.
He said that students are future of nation and their innovations will definitely help the common people. The government is emphasizing on Make in India-Made in India and every-one should take benefit from it, the statement added.
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