Aim to construct 60,000 km world-class NH by 2024; Rs 111 lakh crore allocated for infra development: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, July 10: In a big boost to India's infra push, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry Nitin Gadkari said that his aim is to construct 60,000 kilometers of the world-class national highway by 2024, at the rate of 40 kilometers per day.

 

 

 

Addressing the 16th Annual Conference on "Road Development in India", Gadkari said that India with about 63 lakh km of the road network is the second largest road network in the world. He said road infrastructure plays a critical role in the growth of the economy as 70 percent of the goods and nearly 90 percent of passenger traffic uses roads to commute.

 

 

Further, Gadkari said, "The government is investing 1.4 trillion dollars i.e. Rs 111 lakh crores in infrastructure development through national infrastructure pipeline, further this year, government has increased year on year infrastructure capex by 34 percent to Rs. 5.54 lakh crores." He also said that the aim was "to construct 60,000 km world class national highway at the rate of 40 km per day."

 

 

He also called for the reduction of steel and cement in road construction. He said, "use of steel and cement should be reduced in road construction without comprising on quality through innovation and research." He emphasized on import substitution, cost-effective, pollution-free, and indigenous methods, and the development of alternative fuel.