Central government gives massive boost to road infrastructure: Approves Rs 2600 crore highway projects spread across five states

In a major development, the central government approved nine highway projects on September 20 to be completed in five states at a massive cost of Rs 2,600 crore. 

"The standing finance committee (SFC) today cleared nine projects worth Rs 2,600.31 crore for 414 km," a road transport and highways ministry official said. 

The SFC meeting was chaired by Road Transport and Highways Secretary Sanjay Mitra. All the projects approved today will be constructed in the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode. These are in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh. 

These include up-gradation of 49 km stretch of Allahabad-Mirzapur section of NH 76 at a cost of Rs 241 crore, construction of two-lane Pilibhit-Puranpur on NH 730 at Rs 177 crore and upgradation of Banda-Allahabad of NH 76 at Rs 219 crore. 

The two projects in Karnataka cover widening of Chittapur cross to the start of Yadgir bypass of NH 150 at a cost of Rs 315 crore and widening of Maharashtra border to Bidar section on NH 50 for Rs 397 crore. 

The Nagaland project, Mitra said, pertains to construction of Capital road from Dimapur to Kohima with a project cost of Rs 326 crore. Of the remaining three, two are with respect to Telangana and one Andhra Pradesh.