Government approves Rs 3,874-crore road projects in Odisha, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Government today approved highway projects worth Rs 3,873.6 crore in Odisha, Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh for widening various stretches under its flagship road building programme NHDP.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given "its approval for development of the four laning" of these highways stretches in Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, an official statement said.

The cost of the Odisha project is estimated at Rs 1,077.11 crore, Uttar Pradesh project is about Rs 1,325.09 crore while a highway stretch falling in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh will be built at a cost of Rs 1,471.40 crore.

The four laning of the Singhara-Binjabahal section of National Highway - 6 in Odisha will be done under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV, an official statement said.

"The cost is estimated to be Rs 1077.11 crore including the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 104 kms," it said.

The project will expedite improvement of infrastructure in Odisha and reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, on the Singhara-Binjabahal sector.

About Uttar Pradesh project it said the four-laning of the Lucknow-Sultanpur section of National Highway - 56 under NHDP phase - IV will be done at Rs 1325.09 crore expenditure including the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities.

The project will expedite improvement of infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, it said and adding, the development of this stretch will also help in uplifting the socio-economic condition of the concerned regions of the state and would also increase employment potential for local labourers for project activities.

On four laning of Nagina-Kashipur section of National Highway - 74 in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, the statement said the 99 km stretch will be widened at a cost of Rs 1,471.40 crore including the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities.

"The project will expedite improvement of infrastructure in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh," it said adding, implementation of this project will help in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying on the Nagina-Kashipur sector.

The project is covered in the regions of Nagina and Kashipur in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh respectively.

All the three projects are being constructed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll mode on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (BOT/DBFOT) basis.