Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday reviewed the ongoing projects of the State Public Works Department (PWD) at a meeting held at his official residence here.
The Chief Minister during the meeting reviewed the status of Raipur-Bilaspur road four laning work, broadening of Raipur-Durg and Raipur-Dhamtari roads besides the status of construction of Bhopalpatnam-Bijapur road among other projects.
In the meeting, Singh also endorsed a new National Highway between Raipur and Vishakhapatnam on a proposal moved by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
The Chief Minister was informed in the meeting that Rs 2,500 crore worth of road projects in the State have already been endorsed for financial year 2017-18 which includes construction of four fly overs on Raipur-Durg route.
He also ordered that all bridges made from the funds allocated from the State budget for PWD would not have any toll tax charged.
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 last year.
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 current 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 last financial year, 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.
Chhattisgarh is also all set to get new national highways (NHs) with roads totalling length of 1367 kms, inform officials.
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 containerized 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 stage.
For the other 2 locations – North Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh border (Singrauli) and Nagaur (Rajasthan), action will be initiated with a detailed area-wise analysis.
The Indian Railways have also commenced the process of laying an 18-kms long broad gauge Railway track from Mandir Hasaud to Kendri village in the new capital region .The Rail line would be connected to the existing Raipur-Visakhapatnam line. A total of 41 villages would be coming under the project out of which 13 villages would be coming in the first layer and 28 in second layer, officials stated.
The Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) had already commenced rural development projects in the villages coming under the Rail line project, they stated.
All poor families from 41 villages in the project area are being allocated BSUP housing in 10 villages.
This was informed in a review meeting for NRDA projects held by Housing and Environment Minister Rajesh Munat in the Mantralaya in Naya Raipur.
The Chhattisgarh Government in 2015-16 had stated it had adopted Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for development of roads and expects capital investment of nearly Rs 10,000 crore.
A total of 12 roads have been marked under Chhattisgarh State Road Development Project, out of which work on developing six roads has already been started, officials stated.
In 2015-16, 3724 kms of roads were built and upgraded and construction of 41 bridges has been completed. Construction of 123 bridges is in progress, officials had informed.
it may be recalled that the Centre had also approved as many as three new National Highway projects in Chhattisgarh during the past three financial years.
The cumulative cost of the highway projects stood at Rs 150.37 crores, officials stated.
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had approved Rs 3,300 crore for broadening and upgradation of the National Highways in Chhattisgarh in 2015-16.
Notably in July 2015, the Central government had also announced that it would award contracts for three key road projects in Chhattisgarh measuring 149 kms to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 3,522 crores this year, officials stated.
It had targetted to award 273 road projects in the country covering a length of approximately 12,900 km amounting to about Rs 1,26,700 crore during 2015-16 under various schemes of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, officials had stated.
The Central government had also sanctioned an amount of Rs 305.56 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.