Rs 1 lakh cr worth highway projects planned for Andhra: Nitin Gadkari

Vijayawada, Jan 21 (IANS) Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday inaugurated a series of projects in Andhra Pradesh and said the government is planning national highway projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore in the state.

He also laid the foundation stones of several other projects, with all of them collectively adding up to a total length of 1,384 km and a total investment of Rs 16,878 crore, a Ministry statement said.

Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said the length of national highways in Andhra Pradesh before May 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre, was 4,193 km, which had now increased to 7,246 km (including in-principle national highways).

"Total likely investment in Andhra Pradesh is Rs 1 lakh crore for development of national highways including about 2,520 km of roads amounting to Rs 44,000 crore under Bharatmala," he said.

Gadkari said a total of 108 projects (including non-national highway projects) costing Rs 1,64,719 crore were identified for the state, out of which, 19 projects worth Rs 2,242 crore had been completed till October 2018.

He said 53 focus projects of Rs 33,042 crore were planned for completion during 2018-20 and 27 were under implementation with investment of Rs 83,713 crore.

"Thirty-eight projects with investment of Rs 74,000 crore are under various stages of development. Further, DPR is under preparation for 23 projects worth Rs 4,151 crore," he said.

Gadkari added that 36 road projects and nine industrial clusters were planned for the state under Sagarmala programme in the state.

The Minister said that under the coastal community development programme, Center of Excellence for Maritime & Shipbuilding was being set up in Vizag with total cost of Rs 574 crore. He said the DPRs had been prepared for five fishing harbor projects worth Rs 1,500 crore under Sagarmala.