New Delhi: Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today gave his nod to building of 3,080.47 kms long highway as national highway besides sanctioning seven ROBs in Punjab during his meeting with state’s deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here.
In the presence of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the deputy CM put forth demands of the state and for declaring Guru Gobind Singh Marg from Sri Anandpur Sahib to Sri Abchal Nagar Hazoor Sahib Nanded (Maharashtra) as national highway.
He pointed out that out of total length of 3,080.47 km, about 1,469 km has already been declared as national highway whereas the remaining 1,611 kms is yet to be declared as such.
A Punjab government statement claimed that Gadkari accepted the demand and gave his green signal to declare 880 km length of GGS Marg as national highways and assured that rest would be taken up soon.
Badal also sought speedy approval of four- and six-laning of Chandigarh-Kharar-Ludhiana road project of NH-95 where land has been acquired and necessary clearances are in place.
Heeding this demand, Union Minister asked the officers to grant approval within one month to the project. He also gave directions to the NHAI to get approval of Rupnagar-Phagwara road project at the earliest.
Regarding the delay in 6 laning of Jalandhar-Dhillwan section of NH-1 length 20 Kms and 4 laning of Ludhiana-Talwandi Bhai section of NH-15 length 78 Kms, Gadkari asked member finance NHAI Satish Chandra to take speedy action against defaulters as per rules of the contract.
Sukhbir also stressed upon the Union Minister for declaring Landran-Moonak road via Sirhind-Patiala-bye pass-Samana-Patran-Moonak connecting newly declared NH-148B and NH-205A, Banga-Garhshankar-Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi raod, Gurdaspur-Dera Baba Nanak-Ajnala-Amritsar-Bhikhiwind-Khemkaran road, Zira Ferozepur-Muktsar Sahib-Malout road, Moga-Harike-Khalra, Patiala-Pihowa road upto Haryana border, Abohar Hanumangarh road upto Rajasthan border and Abohar-Sitogunnu-Dabwali as national highways in Punjab given their strategic, economic and religious importance.