Govt nod for JNPT, Rs10,884-crore highway projects

NEW DELHI: The government has approved eight road projects, entailing an estimated cost of Rs 10,883.89 crore. The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee, chaired by finance secretary Ashok Chawla, has cleared major road projects in Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Karnataka. The project include 4-laning of the Chenani to Nashri section of NH 1A with parallel escape tunnel worth Rs 2519 crore, strengthening and 4-laning of Ramban to Banihal section of NH 1A in J & K worth Rs 1,987 crore.

Since its constitution in January 2006, PPPAC has granted approval to 135 projects, with an estimated project cost of Rs 1,37,025.62 crore. These include national highways (hundred and twenty-two projects), ports (nine projects), Airports (two projects), tourism infrastructure (one project) and Railways (one project), a finance ministry statement said here on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a shipping ministry official said the panel had also sanctioned three port projects worth Rs 7,757 crore, including the development of a container terminal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust.