Odisha seeks completion of NHs at the earliest

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Sep 27 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to get various National Highway (NH) projects in the state completed expeditiously.

"I urged the Minister to finalise the tender processes and complete the pending critical works on the National Highways in Odisha, involving six stretches and road length up to 585 km," Patnaik said after meeting Gadkari in New Delhi.

The Chief Minister also urged construction of flyovers at Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar and at Gohira Chhak leading to Infovalley-2 near Khordha on NH-16.

He said the construction of the flyover at Khandagiri was an acute necessity as several terrible road accidents had been reported at this congested junction.

Similarly, he said, construction of the flyover at Gohira Chhaka would address the serious problem of congestion but was yet to start.

The Chief Minister said the Centre had accorded in-principle approval for 12 state roads as new National Highways covering a length of 1,193 km during 2015-16 and 2016-17.

He urged for declaration of these roads as National Highways expeditiously and numbering them appropriately.

Patnaik said the Odisha government had submitted a proposal to declare 30 state roads, which fulfil the eligibility criteria, covering a length of 2,483 km as National Highways in December 2016, which sould be approved at the earliest.

Gadkari assured the Chief Minister that priority would be accorded to pending National Highway projects in Odisha and appropriate action, as required, relating to finalisation of tenders and completion of the works within time frame taken.

He assured Odisha's proposal on 30 state roads would be considered favourably.