Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari announced on Tuesday that construction of roads and bridges in the left Wing Extremism (lWE) areas would be carried out on a mission mode with precast and other advance technologies with assistance from Military Engineering Services (MES) and DRDO.
“The road projects will be carried out through ‘mission mode’ in coordination with the insurgency-hit States,’’ Gadkari told newsmen at a Press conference after holding a review meeting with the Chief Ministers and Ministers of eight Naxal-hit States at Naya Raipur. He said that local contractors would also be engaged for construction of roads and other development works in violence-hit pockets.
Gadkari reviewed the progress of road infrastructure works in insurgency-hit eight States and heaped praise on security forces and construction agencies for executing the key road projects in red zones despite all odds.
He stressed upon the need to involve the local tribal youth in development works and appreciated the efforts of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for doing excellent work in creating infrastructure in Naxal areas.
Gadkari told delegates at the review meet that around 75 per cent of the Naxal problem could be solved if a network of road and bridges is developed in insurgency-hit areas. He emphasised on using latest technology in road construction work and insisted that road laying projects should be completed in a time-bound manner. Gadkari informed scribes that the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) will be approached and meeting will be held regarding large number of projects awaiting clearance from MoEF in the forest areas.
He outlined the status of Road Requirement Plan (RRP) Phase-1 and said that construction of 5477 km long roads was to be done in 34 districts in the phase-1 out of which 3200 km long roads have been constructed. The remaining work will be completed by May 2015.