Budget 2015: Govt to prioritise completion of 1 lakh kilometers of additional roads, says FM Jaitley

The Indian government will prioritise the completion of 1 lakh kilometers of additional roads, finance minister Arun Jaitley mentioned in the latest fiscal budget for the financial year starting April 1.

He didn't elaborate.

The Narendra Modi government has stepped up efforts to get investment for highway projects in India after investor demand sapped for the sector.

New rules are being proposed under which the investor will have to pay only 60 per cent of the cost, according to a report. Also toll collection will not be the investor's responsibility, the report said.

In 2013-14, 21 highway projects worth Rs 27,000 crore failed to get bidders, according to government figures.

A separate media report recently said the ambitious 555 kilometer Rs 7,700 crore Udaipur-Kishangarh-Ahmedabad road project may be terminated after the government turned down a request for special dispensation from the developer GMR Infrastructure.