(a) whether the Ministry has any proposal to connect remote & undeveloped areas by National/State Highways to ensure speedy growth of the sector;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
(d) whether there is any such proposal for undeveloped areas in the periphery of Rajasthan and Maharashtra State?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)
(a) to (c) The Ministry is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs).
The Ministry considers declaration of some State roads as new NHs from time to time depending upon requirement of connectivity, inter-se-priority and availability of funds.
The total length of NHs as on 31.03.2014 was about 91,287 km; this has been enhanced to about 1,29,709 km since then. Apart from this, the Ministry has approved “In-Principle” about 51,940 km length of State roads as new NHs subject to outcome of their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
The Government has identified 115 numbers of aspirational districts and taken initiatives for finalisation of Action Plan for development of facilities/ infrastructure related with Health and Nutrition, Education, Basic Infrastructure, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, etc.
Accordingly, the Ministry has prepared Action Plan to provide NH/ road connectivity to all the 115 identified aspirational districts by 2021-22, involving total road length of about 15,451 km costing about Rs.1,11,712 crore. Out of this, so far about 4,350 km length of roads have been developed.
(d) The development and maintenance of NHs is a continuous process. The works on NHs, including those in the remote and undeveloped areas, are, accordingly, taken up depending upon inter-se priority, traffic density and availability of funds. The details of such projects taken up in the States of Rajasthan and Maharashtra, are annexed.