In
a bid to fast-track road projects
in Naxal [Left-Wing Extremism]-hit
areas, the Road Transport
and Highways Ministry has
asked States to consider awarding
contracts for smaller stretches
of highways there, reports
IBN Live. The direction
comes in the wake of road
building projects of over
1,000 kilometers (km) in extremist-hit
areas not making any progress.
"Road Transport and Highways
Minister C P Joshi has asked
key officials of eight Naxal-hit
states including, Odisha,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and
Maharashtra to consider awarding
projects for smaller stretches
of roads," a senior Ministry
official said. "Besides
they have been asked to consider
whether the projects could
be completed in two parts
- earth work and bitumen work,"
he said. Joshi has also asked
states to rope in local contractors
for uting such projects
besides involving local bodies
like gram panchayat
etc, he added.
The
Government in 2009 had approved
a scheme for development of
1,202km of National Highways
and 4,363km of state roads
in "Left Wing extremism-affected
areas of 34 districts in eight
states" in three years.
The physical progress, sources
said, was 1,811 km till June
2012. The project is likely
to be completed now by March,
2015. |
