Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday assured Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal that required approvals and additional funds to boost the up-gradation of roads and national highways in the State will be released in the coming days.
Badal called on Gadkari in New Delhi to discuss the issues regarding Public Private Partnership Approval Committee (PPPAC) approval for 4/6 laning of Kharar-ludhiana road (NH-95), up-gradation of Rupnagar-Phagwara road and altering funding pattern for 4 laning of Zirakpur-Patiala road (NH-64) besides up-gradation of in-principal approved seven new national highways in the State.
In the meeting, Badal apprised that NHAI was postponing the receipt of tenders for 4/6 laning of Kharar-ludhiana road time and again as the project was yet to be approved by PPPAC. Similarly, 80 percent land had already been made available for the up-gradation of Rupnagar-Phagwara road but the authority was also postponing this project due to delay in approval from the Ministry.
The Deputy CM also asked to release the requisite funds for 4-laning of Zirakpur-Rajpura and Rajpura-Patiala section of NH-64 to which Union Minister agreed to change the source of funds for the project and directed the finance officer to release adequate funds within a week. Discussing the up-gradation of in-principal approved 7 new national highways, Badal sought to notify these 647 kilometre State highways at the earliest. Gadkari directed the concerned officer to issue this notification.
Badal also asked Gadkari for issuing administrative approval for consultancy estimates to the already submitted 6 DPRs by State PWD besides allocating additional funds amounting to `1800 crore approximately for up-gradation of these roads. The Union Minister assured that the same would be approved and released in the coming days as Ministry has received the Budget allocation few days back. Gadkari assured Badal to start tendering process in July on these six road projects.
The Deputy CM also informed Gadkari that work on improvement of Amritsar bypass (NH-1) upto Wagha border was yet to be start and progress on 4 laning of ludhiana-Talwandi Bhai section of NH-95 was slow. The Union Minister issues necessary directions to complete both the projects without any delay.