Centre to spend Rs 35,000cr on NH expansion in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Promising massive expansion of national highways (NH) in the state, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari announced addition of over 2,000km to state's NH network, here on Friday.
Addressing a news conference here, Gadkari said the Centre envisages total investment of Rs 35,000 crore in Odisha on the ongoing NH expansion and construction of new NHs.
Stating that seven new highways of 1,260 km would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore, Gadkari said, "I have asked for a detailed project report (DPR) for these projects".
He said another 889-km would be completed under the ministry's connectivity programmes for backward areas/religious/tourist places by spending a similar amount. Besides, the government would complete around 13 ongoing projects (2,104 km), which are in different stages of completion, soon, he said. Gadkari said work worth Rs 15,000 crore for 1,672 km are proposed in the state in 2015-16.
After the new NHs are complete, Odisha's highway length will go up to 6,600 km from the current 4,693 km. Seeking the state government's cooperation for early completion of the projects, Gadkari said, "Since the state has to acquire land, I would like to expedite the process so that the works are completed in time."
The seven new NHs include 400 km of Palasa - Bhawanipatna - Padmapur - Chhattisgarh passing through KBK region, Bhubaneswar - Athagarh- Badkera (150km), Naranpur (Keonjhar) - Kamakhyanagar -Khadagprasad (140km), Cuttack - Bhadrak - Anandpur (190km), Badkera (Angul) - Hindol - Daspalla -Bhanjanagar (120km), Nayagarh - Jankia - Chandpur (130km) and Balangir - Paikmal - Nuapada (130km).
Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur district headquarters, which were not connected to NH so far, would come to NH network with the new projects.
Under Bharatmala, a central scheme for 5000-km NH network along borders and coastal areas, the Centre would build Konark - Astarang - Paradip Port - Chandipur - Digha (430km) and Chhhatrapur - Satapada (70km) highways.
Similarly, to provide connectivity to backward areas, the Centre will build NH through Panposh - Tildega -Konpara - Ludang (200km) and Anandpur - Udala - Baripada (141km). New NH for Khurda - Chandaka-Cuttack (37km) and extension of NH 18 from Balasore to Chandipur will be made for connectivity to tourist places, the minister said.