(a) whether there is a policy to upgrade coastal highways into national highways; and
(b) if so, the details thereof including the guidelines and the length of coastal highways yet to be upgraded to national highway level in Gujarat?
(a) whether there is a policy to upgrade coastal highways into national highways; and
(b) if so, the details thereof including the guidelines and the length of coastal highways yet to be upgraded to national highway level in Gujarat?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI PON. RADHAKIRISHNAN)
(a) & (b)The declaration of any road as a National Highway depends not only on the consideration that it runs along the coast but on several other considerations including traffic needs, inter-se priority on all India basis and availability of resources. Notwithstanding the above, a length of approximately 362km. running along the coast in Gujarat has already been converted into National Highways. The criteria for declaration of National Highways are annexed. At present, new National Highways are not being declared due to fund constraints.
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) & (B) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2210 FOR ANSWER ON 17.12.2003 ASKED BY SHRI SAVSHIBHAI MAKWANA AND SHRI VINAY KUMAR SORAKE REGARDING UPGRADATION OF COASTAL HIGHWAYS IN GUJARAT.
CRITERIA FOR THE DECLARATION OF NEW NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
- Roads which run through the length and breadth of the country - Roads connecting adjacent countries - Roads connecting the National capital with State capital and roads connecting mutually the State capitals. - Roads connecting major ports, large industrial centres or tourists centers. - Roads meeting very important strategic requirements. - Arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth thereby. - Roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions. - National Highways grid of 100 Km. is achieved.
- The road must be up to the standard laid down for State Highways - both in its technical requirements as well as the land requirements.
- The road and right of way must be free of any type of encroachmentand should be the property of the State Government.
- The right of way required for the National Highway (preferably 45m. minimum 30m.) must be available for acquiring, free of encroachment and the State Government would complete acquiring formalities within the six months.