The Hindu Business Line : Most yearly targets under Bharat Nirman met: Minister

`Bharat Nirman' was evolved for achieving goals in six areas of rural infrastructure such as irrigation, drinking water, housing, roads, telephony and electrification.

Mangalore May 29 The Centre has made good progress in implementing the `Bharat Nirman' programme, according to Mr K.H. Muniappa, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways.

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, he said that 9,481 habitations were connected with over 30,000 km of new roads and 29,000 km of upgraded roads at the end of January 2007.

`Bharat Nirman' was evolved for achieving goals in six areas of rural infrastructure such as irrigation, drinking water, housing, roads, telephony and electrification.

Giving details of other projects under the programme, he said that over 23 lakh houses have been constructed and 1.5 lakh habitations have been provided with safe drinking water as per norms.

On the electricity front, over 37,000 non-electrified villages and 6.25 lakh rural households have been provided with electricity.

He added that more than 32,000 villages have been provided telephone connection under the programme.

"We have been able to meet most of the yearly targets for projects taken up under Bharat Nirman."

Quadrilateral project

The Golden Quadrilateral project, which connects four metros with four- and six-lanes of National Highways, is almost complete.

Work on 7,300 km of North-South and East-West corridors is expected to be completed by 2009, he said.

The Centre has approved upgradation of 12,230 km of National Highways under the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) Phase III on BOT basis.

Nearly 6,500 km of National Highways will be converted into six-lane highways at a cost of Rs 41,000 crore by 2012.

The Government also wants to construct 1,000 km of expressways at a cost of Rs 16,680 crore, he said.

Elevated highway

On projects in Karnataka, the Minister said that work has been awarded for elevated highway project on the Bangalore-Nelamangala and Bangalore-Kolar-Mulbagil sections of NH 4.

On conversion of NH 48 from Nelamangala to Hassan into a four-lane one, he said that the letter of intent has been issued for the stretch from Nelamangala to Devihalli.

Work is yet to be awarded from Devihalli to Hassan.

The Ministry has sanctioned three estimates amounting to Rs 30 crore for improvement of NH 48 at Shiradi Ghat section, he added.

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