16ha land obtained for NHAI last year

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has acquired 16 hectares of land in the current financial year till June 2015 for the development of various road projects in the State, officials stated.The NHAI had acquired 66 hectares of land during the previous financial year in the State. It has targeted to complete 10,950 km of National Highways during 2015-16 in the country. A total length of 1733 km have been constructed till July 31, 2015.

The Centre would also soon award contracts for three key road projects in Chhattisgarh measuring 149 kms to be developed at an estimated cost of `3,522 crores this year, officials stated.It is targeted to award 273 road projects in the country covering a length of approximately 12,900 km amounting to  about  `1,26,700 crore during 2015-16 under various schemes of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The Centre had also sanctioned an amount of Rs305.56 crore for 10 important works under Central Road Fund Scheme during 2015-16 in Chhattisgarh, officials stated.These 10 works include construction of one road route, two Railway over-bridges and under-bridges, one fly-over and bridge. PWD Minister Rajesh Munat had stated that these works have been approved by Central government this year for ensuring smooth traffic movement in busy areas of the State.

He said that these 10 approved works include construction of flyover at NH-6 Canal Road in Kashiram Nagar in Raipur at the cost of `46.35 crore, construction of bridge on Hasdeo River at Champa-Korba-Katghora Road at the cost of Rs29.77 crore, and construction of bridges on Rajnandgaon-Kawardha Road at the cost of `13.70 crore and on Rajnandgaon Arjunda-Gunderdehi Road at the cost of Rs24.17 crore.

It may also be recalled that the newly established Regional Office of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra will oversee faster implementation of its projects in Chhattisgarh.The Regional Office at Nagpur will also oversee faster implementation of road projects in parts of Maharashtra.

A total of 19 Regional Offices have been set up by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the entire country. Notably, the Centre has also recently approved a revised cost of `3045 crore under its Road Requirement Plan (RRP) for improvement of road connectivity in left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected areas of Chhattisgarh.

Overall, the Centre has approved a Road Requirement Plan (RRP) for improvement of road connectivity in lWE affected areas of a total of 34 districts in 8 States covering 5477 km length (1126 km NHs and 4351 km State Roads).In Chhattisgarh, the fund had been approved for improvement of road connectivity in lWE affected areas measuring 2019 kms .

As per details of Physical Progress achieved as on March 1, 2015 under RRP, the length of road completed between 2010-11 to 2014-15 in the insurgency infested areas in Chhattisgarh  upto February 28,2015 is 868 kms.As per the State-wise details of fund allocated and expenditure incurred under lWE scheme, Chhattisgarh made expenditure of `190 crore between 2010-11 to 2014-15 upto February 28, 2015.

Notably, last year, the Central Government had simplified the procedure for offering general approval under Section-2 of Central Forest Conservation Act 1980, keeping in view the need of infrastructural development for public utility.This implied that general approval for construction of roads on forest land in a total of ten lWE affected districts of Chhattisgarh will now be granted easily, official informed .