Modi government gears up for 2019 polls with 'a project a day'

NEW DELHI: ‘A project a day’ is set to mark the Modi government’s run-up for the 2019 parliamentary polls with the highways and shipping ministry have already prepared a list of nearly 500 projects, which will be either inaugurated or for which foundation stones will be laid as the mega battle draws closer.

The identified highway projects covering nearly 15,000km entail investment of about Rs 1.8 lakh crore. Sources said the ministry would also highlight the total number of jobs created by these projects. Works identified by the shipping ministry are related to port development and some projects relating to the development of waterways and construction of jetties.

“We will be in a position to roll out more than one project every day. We have worked hard to resolve issues of heldup projects and at the same time we have gone ahead with the highest ever awarding of works. The pace will continue as we bring more existing roads under the NH network,” highways minister Nitin Gadkari told TOI.


The Modi government has awarded highway projects covering 34,000 km in three years. “The number will increase as we award more projects in the next one and half years,” a government source said. The highways ministry has also shared details of the projects with the PMO so it can choose the projects to be inaugurated by the PM. Sources said there is greater monitoring of some of the projects scheduled for completion in February to April 2019 to expedite their completion.

According to highway ministry sources, the project ready for inauguration are spread over all states including the north-east. BJP had accused the UPA of derailing the highway development programme and promised to bring it back on track. Gadkari has set a high target of 40 km highway construction per day, but the achievement so far has been 23 km.