UPA is faster than NDA in road development-Muniyappa

Jaipur, Nov 16 (UNI) Claiming there was faster road network development in the country under the present UPA Government, as compared to its predecessor NDA coalition, Union Minister of State for Surface Transport KH Muniyappa today said that ongoing efforts, involving an investment of Rs.2.20 lakh crore would povide 50,000 km of developed national highway network by 2013.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Muniyappa said that his government was implementing an ambitious seven phased highway development project with total investment of Rs 2,20,000 crore for developing around 50,000 km highway in next 5 to 6 years.

He said that UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had accorded higher priority to road network development in the country and given due boost to various projects for the purpose.

Mr Muniyappa said that this had paved way for faster highway development leading to positive growth in national economy.

Resultantly, 95 per cent work of the Golden Quadrilateral project of previous Vajpayee Government, involving construction of 5846 km long high speed highway, had now been completed and 20 per cent of the work on another ambitious project National Corridor-of the previous government, involving construction of 7,300 km long of two 6-lane express highways-Silchar to Porbandhar and Srinagar to Kanya Kumari-, had also been completed.

Notably, only 45 per cent of the works on the Golden Quadrilateral were completed by the previous NDA Government in four years while barring smaller patches of about 5 per cent stretches, all remaining work had been completed by the UPA Government during two and a half years.

Similarly, the National Corridor project was only in the initial phase of implementation in NDA's regime and the project was totally been implemented by this governemnt, the minister claimed.

Now the government was concentrating on implementation of National Highway Development Phase 3 works involving construction of 11000 km of roads by 2010, the minister said.

In Rajasthan, 2244 km of total 5585 km of naitonal highway was being developed under different phases of highway development projects.

Of this 856 km, laning works had so far been completed and work in 637 km long strecth of Borth South and East West Corridors was in progress. This work is expected to be competed by 2008, he said.

Under National Highway Development, Phase 3 project work of four laning of 936 km highways is proposed to be taken up. Six laning of Gurgaon Jaipur Express Highway was also in the advanced stage of grants and sanctions.

The faster road infrastructure development was contributing in healthy growth of Indian economy saving 33 per cent of fuel, reducing jounrey time up to 50 per cent and increasing the operational life of vehicles, the minister observed.

UNI