New Delhi, Mar 19 (KNN) The government has approved road projects amounting to Rs 7,915 crore in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana under its flagship road building programme, National Highways Development Project (NHDP). 

The decision while improving the infrastructure of the country would enhance the employment potential for local labourers in the project activities. 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in its meeting yesterday approved the four projects to be built under phases III, IV and V on Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. 

"The CCEA has given its approval for the investment proposal for the implementation of the 'Bhavnagar-Veraval' section of National Highway-8E in the state of Gujarat under NHDP Phase IV on DBFOT basis in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Toll) Mode. The cost is estimated to be Rs 3338.86 crore," an official statement said about the Gujarat project. 

The four-laning of the 260 km stretch, it said will expedite the improvement of infrastructure in the state and also reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, plying between Bhavnagar and Veraval. This stretch is an important corridor of the coastal region of the state, having a number of ports and will help in the socio-economic uplift of this region, it added.  

The other project approved by the CCEA was Rs 1691.91 crore six laning of 146.31 km 'Chakeri-Allahabad' section of National Highway-2 in Uttar Pradesh under NHDP Phase V in BOT (Toll) Mode. 

"The cost is estimated to be Rs 1691.91 crore including the cost of Rs 338.25 crore towards the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The project is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) between Delhi and Kolkata,” the statement said. 

The project will expedite the improvement of infrastructure in the state of Uttar Pradesh and also reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Chakeri and Allahabad.   

Besides, the CCEA also approved four-laning of 'Khed-Sinnar' section of NH-50 in Maharashtra under NHDP Phase IV entailing Rs 1,574.01 crore cost. 

"NH-50 is a link between NH-3 in Maharashtra and shall be giving feeder service to GQ 4 at Pune city. This stretch will also help in the socio-economic uplift of this region of Maharashtra," the statement added. 

The other project approved by the CCEA was the four laning of the 'Rohtak-Hissar' section of NH-10 in Haryana under NHDP Phase III to be executed at a cost of Rs 1310.55 crore including the cost of Rs 351.30 crore towards the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. 

The project is expected to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in Haryana and also reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Rohtak and Hissar.
   
The move comes in the wake of crucial meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI), aiming to remove the regulatory hurdles for infrastructure projects worth Rs 50,000 crore by March 31.
 
The projects yet to be cleared by the environment ministry include the Rs 7,700-crore Kishangarh-Udaipur-Ahmedabad project, the delay in clearance for which led to a stand-off between the concessionaire GMR Group and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
 
Other projects set to be given environmental clearance are Gwalior-Shivpuri, Patna-Buxar and Kota-Jhalwar road projects, among others.  (KNN/SD)