New Delhi, April 1
New data released by the government on Thursday showed National Highway construction nearly doubled in the past seven years growing from 91,287 km as of April 2014 to 1,37,625 km as on March 20 this year.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said tremendous progress had been achieved in the NH construction nationally and the sector’s achievements were unparalleled anywhere in the world.
The budgetary outlay for highways increased by 5.5 times from Rs 33,414 crore in Financial Year 2015 to Rs 1,83,101 crore in Financial Year 2022.
“Sanctioned amount has also increased by 126 per cent in FY 2021 over FY 2020 despite COVID-19 related impact. Sanctioned length in kilometres rose by nine per cent in FY 2021 over FY 2020,” the ministry said.
Average annual project award (annual average length of highways awarded) during FY 2015 to FY 2021 increased by 85 per cent as compared to FY 2010 and FY 2014.
Gadkari said the average annual construction (average annual construction length of NHs) during FY 2015 to FY 2021 increased by 83 per cent compared to FY 2010 to FY 2014
Government records also show that the cumulative cost of ongoing project works has increased by 54 per cent at the end of FY 2021 compared the previous fiscal.
“These achievements are unprecedented and have no parallel in any other country in the world,” Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari said.
