The State Government will soon take up four laning of Odisha Border- Arang Section of the new National Highway 53 on BOT (Toll) basis under NHDP Phase-IV , officials informed.
The Central Government has declared 290.08 kms of roads in Chhattisgarh as new National Highways during 2017-18, officials informed.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs) and considers declaration of State Roads as new National Highways from time to time depending upon requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds. The Ministry has declared about 30,268 km of new National Highways (NHs) including 53 km of NHs (717A & 316A)in West Bengal since May 2014, they informed.
On the other hand, notably, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had already announced plans of broadening NH – 26 to augment connectivity between Raipur and Vishakhapatnam in 2016.
The total density of National Highways (NHs) in Chhattisgarh is at 23.4 kms per 1000 square kms out of the total length of 3,168 kms in the State, the Central government has informed.
The declaration of State Roads as new NHs are done from time to time keeping in view the requirements of connectivity and availability of funds, it informed.
About 47,890 km length of State Roads have been approved “In-Principle” for their declaration as new NHs in the country subject to outcome of their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
Notably, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways allocated Rs 1533.68 crores to Chhattisgarh for development of national highways during the last financial year, the Central Government has informed.
A total of Rs 895.63 crore had already been spent so far for development of national highways in the State, it informed.
During the financial year 2016-17, a total of Rs 359.94 crore was allocated out of which 339.80 crore was spent for the development of national highways in Chhattisgarh.
It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh had been already inviting private investors to set up manufacturing clusters for taking advantage of five sea ports within its 600 km reach from the State.
With five ports Paradip and Dhamra in Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machillipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the opportunity of setting up of manufacturing clusters in Chhattisgarh is immense, officials informed.
Notably, a mega Multi-Modal logistic Park (MMlP) is currently under construction spread in an area of 103 acres with an investment of Rs 207 crore in Chhattisgarh’s new capital-Naya Raipur, officials informed.
Notably, the MMlPs in Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand are being developed by Central public sector undertaking Container Corporation of India ltd (CONCOR).
As part of the National Perspective Plan, prepared under the Sagarmala Programme of the Union Ministry of Shipping, a total of seven MMlPs were proposed in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The potential sites were identified based on comprehensive study of the container cargo movement across the country and are located in the proximity of important industrial clusters.
This will be advantageous for the transportation of containerised cargo, officials informed.
Taking this forward, CONCOR officials have informed that domestic operations have already commenced at 1 MMlP in Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and MMlPs at 4 proposed locations - Nagulapally (Telangana), Siliguri (West Bengal), Naya Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Jharsuguda (Odisha), which are under development stages.