With aim of 50 kms of highways per day, Centre may hike budget by 30%: Report

The Indian government is looking at a massive infra push in order to further speed up the pace of highway construction in the country. With the aim of constructing 50 kms of highways each day in 2022, reports suggest plans are being made to increase budget for highways by 30%.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, based on sources, the hike in allocations will raise the budget of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to over ₹1.5 lakh crore. This would be its highest figure ever with ₹1.18 lakh crores being allocated in 2021-22.

With a clear focus on expanding roads and highway infrastructure in order to propel economic growth, several key projects have either already started or have been announced. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, for instance, is one of the most high-profile and eagerly awaited. It will bring down travel time and distance between the two major cities of the country.

Under Nitin Gadkari, the pace of work has quickened while scale too has gone up. Reports reveal that length of national highways in the country has gone up from 91,287 kms in April of 2014 to 141,000 kms at present. Similarly, the pace of construction has gone up significantly as well - from 14 kms per day in 2014-15 to 37 kms per day now.

And 2022 could be witness even more significant numbers. "Next calendar year is going to be better (in terms of national highways construction) than the current year... next year, we are hoping that many of the projects which are being bid out, awarded this year and which have come to a certain stage, will be completed," Union Road Transport Secretary Giridhar Aramane had told PTI last month. (Read more here)

While the pandemic remains a cause of worry, roads and highway construction has picked pace since the first national lockdown was brought to an end. Moving forward, it could touch newer records, say experts.