THE CENTRE will accord permission to Madhya Pradesh for four-laning of the Dewas-Gwalior and Lakhnadaun-Jabalpur roads on the basis of detailed project reports.
Besides, the Khalghat-Sendhwa and Bhopal-Jabalpur roads would be included in the first phase of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
Union Minister for Surface Transport T R Balu made these announcements while dedicating the Sehore by-pass road to the people today.
The 16.2-km-long road will save travel time from Bhopal to Indore by half-an-hour. The length of the by-pass is 81.4-km out of which 39-km has been made four-lane. The State Government had provided Rs 115-crore for different levels of construction work.
The Union Minister assured support from the Centre to Madhya Pradesh for strengthening road infrastructure and increase in allocation under the Central Road Fund on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s request.
The Union Minister urged the State to fix priorities of road projects and send proposals to the Centre. The Chief Minister said that 17,000-km roads have been completed in two-and-half years and in the coming years another 30,000-km would be completed.
He said the government’s focus is on quality of construction work and maintenance of completed roads. There would be no compromise with quality, he said adding there is no room for politics in the development sector.
{{/usCountry}}He said the government’s focus is on quality of construction work and maintenance of completed roads. There would be no compromise with quality, he said adding there is no room for politics in the development sector.
{{/usCountry}}Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh is going to join the league of developed states and Central assistance at this critical phase would spur the process.
Public Works Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said compromise with quality would not be tolerated. Those responsible for poor quality construction of roads would be taken to task.
He also urged the Centre to liberally help the State in improving road network. Secretary, Public Works, M Puruswami gave details about the Sehore by-pass road.
Those present on the occasion included MLAs Ramesh Saxena, Raghuraj Singh Malviya, Karan Singh Verma, Giriraj Mandloi, Sehore district Panchayat President Anita Baderia, NHAI Chairman Santosh Nautiyal, senior officials among others.