Govt approves Rs 3,084.21 cr for development of roads

NEW DELHI: Government on Thursday approved road improvement projects worth Rs 3084.21 crore in the Kerala and Andhra Pradesh under different phases of National Highways Development Programme (NHDP).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved Rs 1,754.12 crore for four-laning of Cuddapah-Mydukur-Kurnool section of National Highway-18 in Andhra under NHDP phase III. It has been awarded on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis.

The committee also approved Rs 686.57 crore for four���laning of Walayar-Vadakkancherry section of National Highway-47 and Rs 643.52 crore for six-laning of Vadakkancherry-Thrissur section of the same highway.

All the projects will be developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) through private sector concessionaires who will be selected by NHAI following a two���stage bidding process, Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here after the meeting.

The concession period for all projects is kept as 20 years including 30 months for construction, he added.