Punjab Government on Thursday urged the Centre for expeditious approval of new national highway projects for the State.
The demand was made by Punjab PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh, who called on the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and presented a roadmap to make Punjab the leading state in road infrastructure in India.
Punjab Minister made an impassioned appeal for the declaration of nine major roads as National Highways including Banga-Garhshankar-Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi road; Nawanshahr-Rahon-Macchiwara-Samrala road; and Gurdaspur-Mukerian-Talwara road.
Keeping the problems of villagers in mind and also to facilitate easy access to farmers, he also urged the Union Minister to construct service roads along the newly proposed expressways in Punjab.
The state Principal Secretary, PWD (B&R), Vikas Pratap, who accompanied the Minister for this meeting, informed that Punjab has also requested for an increase in the annual accrual of the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund to Rs 300 crore.
The state government is going to submit its annual action plan for 2022-23 for approval to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, comprising projects worth Rs 3300 crore, including bypasses to towns like Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Sri Muktsar Sahib; four-laning of congested roads in the State; new railway over bridges and high-level bridges.
