Government To Construct 20,000 Km Of Highways Under First Phase Of Bharatmala Project: Gadkari

The government has set an ambitious target for constructing 20,000 km of highways under the first phase of Bharatmala project. This umbrella programme, to be launched soon, will subsume existing highway projects, including the flagship National Highways Development Project (NHDP) in six months. The total investment earmarked for the Bharatmala project is estimated at Rs 10 lakh crore.

"We will undertake massive road construction under the Bharatmala and lay a network of roads in border areas. We will connect all district headquarters with roads," Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was quoted as saying by the Economic Times .

Bharatmala is the second-largest highways project after the NHDP that saw the development of about 50,000 km. Gadkari also added that special emphasis will be given on providing connectivity to far-flung rural areas including the tribal and backward areas.

The Prime Minister's Office, earlier this month, after going through a presentation on the Bharatmala project has asked for Public Investment Board's clearance to the first phase of the project, a government official told the Economic Times.