Bhopal, August 14 (Pervez Bari): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, (MORTH), Mr. C.P Joshi urging for an early decision on handing over to the State Government the National Highways passing through Madhya Pradesh.
The Chief Minister has written in his letter that a resolution has also been passed by the State Cabinet to this effect. Photographs showing extremely poor condition of National Highways in the state have also been annexed with the letter.
In his letter, the Chief Minister has informed Mr. Joshi that the total length of National Highways in Madhya Pradesh is 4709 kms. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has entrusted 3827 kms of these highways for re-construction and maintenance to National Highway Authority of India. NHAI has failed to either start the work of reconstruction or maintain these roads.
Mr. Chouhan said in his letter that presently, 10 stretches of National Highways passing through Madhya Pradesh have become un-motorable and are in extreme bad condition. These roads with potholes are resulting in accidents and traffic jams every day. The Chief Minister said that he himself and State Government officials have been continuously following up with the Ministry for maintenance and reconstruction of these roads. Earlier, the maintenance of these roads was with the National Highway Division of the State PWD. In the last two years the former arrangement has been rescinded and maintenance work has also been entrusted to NHAI.
The Chief Minister has drawn Mr. Joshi’s attention towards the fact that the Ministry had earlier de-notified National Highway stretches of Bhopal-Dewas and Lebad-Ratlam-Jaora-Neemuch-Nayagaon. These highways have been re-constructed to four lane standards within a short period of entrustment to the State Government.
The Chief Minister said that the failure of the MORTH as well as NHAI has forced the State Cabinet to pass a resolution seeking de-notification of ten National Highway stretches due to extremely poor maintenance by NHAI.
The Chief Minister has annexed the list of National Highways which are in extremely poor condition and has hoped that Mr. Joshi’s ministry will take an early decision in this connection. (pervezbari@eth.net)