(a) the amount spent so far by the Government on the construction of National Highway No.78;
(b) the time by which the said construction work will be completed;
(c) whether the Government is taking any immediate steps to improve the condition of the road which is in a very bad shape; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SHIPPING, ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI K.H. MUNIYAPPA )
(a) This Ministry has sanctioned improvement works costing Rs.77.34 crore for Katni-Gumla Road since its declaration as NH-78 on 6th Jan. 1999 out of which an amount of Rs.34.02 crore has already been spent.
(b) to (d): The development and maintenance of National Highway is a continuous process. The improvement works are being taken up in phases depending upon the availability of funds and inter-se-priority.
Apart from the above Plan provision, this Ministry is also providing funds for repair of National Highways under Non-Plan Head against Periodical Renewal, Special Repair and Flood Damage Repair to cover the immediate requirements of the roads. An amount of Rs.24.42 crore has been sanctioned so far on this National Highway in this regard, in addition to the funds placed at the disposal of the State Governments under Ordinary Repairs for routine maintenance.