New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the Centre is committed to augment Jharkhand's infrastructure, and it would implement projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore in the state.
The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister asserted that Jharkhand, which is rich in mineral resources, would see unprecedented growth in the highways sector.
"I am committed to bolster Jharkhand's infrastructure. I assure the people of implementing Rs 2 lakh crore-worth national highway projects in the state," he said, while addressing a public meeting.
"We have completed Rs 40,000-crore national highway projects in the state. At present, we are implementing highway projects worth Rs 70,000 crore, while projects worth Rs 75,000 crore are in the pipeline," Gadkari said.
Strengthening infrastructure was the need of the hour to make India a USD 5-trillion economy in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, he said.
He said the Rs 36,000-crore Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata greenfield corridor will be completed by March 2028, while the Rs 12,800-crore Ranchi-Varanasi economic corridor will be built by January 2028.
Besides, the Rs 31,700-crore six-lane Delhi-Kolkata corridor will be completed by June 2026, he said, adding, the Ranchi-Patna four-lane economic corridor, being built at a cost of Rs 8,900 crore, will see completion by December 2029.
The Union minister said the Rs 16,500-crore Raipur-Dhanbad four-lane economic corridor will be completed by January 2028.
All these projects will significantly reduce the travel time, he said.
He also announced a Rs 6,000-crore Ranchi Ring Road project and said that a detailed report on it will be released soon.
Gadkari also announced a large number of projects to develop connectivity to religious and tourist places in Jharkhand, including the popular Baba Baidyanath in Deoghar.
In two years, the Indian highways will be at par with America's highways in terms of quality, Gadkari asserted.
“Logistics cost, too, will be reduced to 9 per cent of GDP by December 2025 from 14 per cent, giving a boost to the economy,” he said.
Gadkari said till elections, there should be politics but after polls, there should be “politics of development”, hinting at populist measures by Jharkhand's JMM-led government.
He also urged the Jharkhand government to address bottlenecks pertaining to land acquisition, clearance from the forest department and other such issues in the state.
"We will ensure better connectivity between Jharkhand and other states, including Bihar," he said.
Comparing the water crisis in parts of Jharkhand with Maharashtra, Gadkari said there is a small mantra to change the scenario.
"We have changed the situation. NHAI built 1,000 ponds free of cost in Maharashtra. We utilised earth excavated from ponds in building roads and it also led to water conservation. I urge the Jharkhand government to issue a similar order for constructing ponds and we will do it free of cost," he said.
A strong infrastructure here will boost employment for locals, said Gadkari.
He said Jharkhand, which had a national highway network of 2,600 km in 2014, now has a 4,470-km network.
Nineteen aspirational districts of the state are linked with the national highway network now, he said.
In Garhwa, the minister inaugurated a 23-km four-lane highway from Shankha to Khajoori, built at a cost of Rs 1,130 crore.
He also laid the foundation stone of a Rs 1,330-crore project for four-laning of a 32-km stretch of NH-39 from the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand inter-state boundary to Gumla.
Gadkari, who arrived in Ranchi in a special flight, went to Garhwa in a helicopter and addressed a public rally there.
He was scheduled to arrive in Ranchi from Garhwa on a helicopter, but it was diverted to Gayaji in Bihar due to inclement weather, an official said.
Later, a special aircraft was sent to Gayaji and Gadkari arrived in Ranchi and inaugurated projects worth Rs 3,890 crore.
The projects launched in the capital included a Rs 1,900 crore Palma-Gumla four-lane, Rs 825-crore Barhi-Koderma four-lane, Rs 100-crore project for Godda, Rs 20-crore project for Giridih and a Rs 70-crore Barahat-Tulsipur, in addition to the Rs 560-crore elevated corridor in Ranchi.
In Jharkhand, the minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple national highway projects worth Rs 6,350 crore.
Earlier, speaking to PTI, Gadkari said, "Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren informed me that he will not be able to attend today's function as his father Shibu Soren is unwell and is undergoing treatment in Delhi."
Officials said Soren extended his gratitude to Gadkari for the invitation to participate in the event.
"It would have been my privilege to be present on this significant occasion. However, due to the ill health of Shri Shibu Soren ji, I am currently in Delhi attending to his medical care, and hence, will not be able to join the programme," an official quoting Soren's written communication to Gadkari said.
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