Union Minister Gadkari Announces 7 New National Highways In Odisha
By B.Maharana
10 July, Bhubaneswar
Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari Friday announced seven new National Highways in Odisha besides the Coastal High way from Gopalpur to Digha.
Addressing a press conference at Bhubaneswar, Gadkari said his Ministry would accord National Highway (NH) status to about 2,000 km of roads in Odisha.
He said that his ministry also decided to link the National Highways to the districts of Odisha which so far had not been connected with them. He informed that 128 km in Jajpur district and 78 km in Jagatsinghpur district will be converted into National Highways.
The new national highways that would come up in the state include 400 km of Palsa-Paralakmeundi-Ramanaguda-Bissamcuttck-Muniguda-Bhawanipatna-Patnagarh sector, Padmapur-Chhattisgarh (to join NH6), Bhubaneswar-Athagarh-Shankarpur-Mahidharpur-Badkera joining NH 42 (150 km), Naranpur (Keonjhar), Kamakhyanagar-Parjang-Khadagprasad (140 km), Cuttack-Chandwali-Dharma-Bhadrak-Anandpur (190km), Badkera (Angul)-Hindol-Daspallah-Bhanjanagar (120 km), Nayagarh-Jankia-CHandpur (140 km), Balangir-Patnagarh-Harishankar- Nrusinghnath-Paikmal-Nuapada (130 km).
Gadkari said, an investment of Rs 35,000 crore will be made for the development and construction of National Highways in Odisha of which the project work of Rs 10,000 crore will begin by the end of this December while the projects for the remaining amount will begin from next year. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been asked to prepare detailed project reports by the end of December, he added.
The Union Road Transport Minister said, 12 new NH bypass roads will be constructed in Odisha and a Transport Nagar will be set up for each of the roads. In the first phase, a Transport Nagar will be constructed on the bypass near Berhampur in Ganjam district.
Gadkari also said his Ministry has decided to link five major rivers, Baitarani, Brahmani, Birupa, Mahanadi and Budhabalanga, in the state to facilitate 332-km inter-state inland-waterways transport.
Stating that presently, Odisha has 4,639 km national highway Gadkari said that tourism potential, including religious tourism and backward area connectivity have been given priority while industrial corridor and port connectivity were kept in mind for the development of the state with increased coverage of another 2,000 km.
Gadkari said his ministry would also establish a highway village promoting local handloom and handicraft products at Pipili-Raghurajpur between Bhubaneswar and Puri.