Hyderabad: Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari has granted Rs 8,000 crore for the development of state highways.
Speaking at the 77th Indian Road Congress here, Mr Gadkari said 96,000 km of the 52 lakh km of roads in the country comprised national highways. This translated to 40 per cent of traffic being channeled through 2 per cent of the total length. This was resulting in 1.5 lakh people dying on roads.
He urged officers and contractors to come up with a strategy to prevent accidents. He said the Centre had decided to extend the NH to 2 lakh km, of which 1.65 lakh km had been completed.
He said that whenever Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao or other ministers sought help regarding road transport, he has completely agreed to their demands.
He said the 60-km Suryapet-Khamman stretch had been sanctioned '900 crore, the 90-km Mancherial-Chandrapur section Rs 1,500 crore, and the 140-km Sangareddy-Nanded road Rs 2,300 crore.
He said the Jagitiyal-Karimnagar-Warangal 130-km road, which connects three highways, has been given Rs 2,500 crore by the Centre and another '700 crore sanctioned for the 40-km road from Kodad to Khammam.
