Centre promises Rs 20,000 crore for repair of NHs in State

The Pioneer, Aug 4, 2009
PNS | Bhubaneswar

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath has assured the Orissa Government that the Centre would provide Rs 20,000 crore in the coming five years to take up repair and improvement of national highways in the State.

Kamal Nath assured this during a meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at New Delhi on Monday. These funds would be given out of the Central Road Fund to the State Government.

During the meeting, Patnaik stated that the State Government would sign State Support Agreement (SSA) with the Government of India quickly for enabling the Ministry to go for widening of national highways in Orissa on PPT mode.

Patnaik requested Kamal Nath for augmentation of allocation of funds to the tune of Rs 500 crore in the current year for development of national highways in the State which was agreed upon by the Union Minister. The Minister also agreed to the request of the Chief Minister to increase the allocation for maintenance works from the existing 12 crore to Rs 40 crore.

Patnaik highlighted the distress of the people of Balasore district due to inadequate vents on NH-60. The Union Minister stated that this portion of NH-60 has been proposed to be widened to six lanes carriageway wherein provision of additional vents has been envisaged and this work would be taken up very shortly.

The slow progress of the four-laning of the golden quadrilateral undertaken by NHAI, particularly in stretches from Icchapur to Berhampur, from Berhampur to Balugaon and from Bhadrak to Balasore, also figured in the discussion.

It is also decided to go for re-tendering of the four-laning works of NH-200 from Chandikhol to Talcher via Kamakshya Nagar, NH 25 from Panikoeili to Rajamunda and NH-6 from Sambalpur to Loharchatti via Bargarh. The Chief Minister also requested the Minister to take up four-laning work of NH-203 from Bhubaneswar to Puri and construction of passes and ROBs in major cities of Orissa to ease out the traffic congestion which was also agreed upon by the Union Minister.

NOTE: Orissa Government should include NH201 and NH217 in the list.