Over the next two years, the centre intends to invest Rs 10 trillion to improve the nation’s highways, with a particular emphasis on the northeast and border regions, where the quality of the roads will be on par with international standards.
According to the centre, 784 highway projects totalling 21,355 km would be built in the eastern states at an estimated cost of Rs 3.73 trillion.
There are currently projects in Assam valued at Rs 576.96 billion and Bihar valued at over Rs 900 billion. Additionally, the centre is working on projects in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha valued at around Rs 420 billion, Rs 530 billion, and Rs 580 billion, respectively.
With the exception of Assam, projects in the Northeast, totalling around Rs 1 trillion are underway.
In Nagpur, a Rs 1.70 billion mass rapid transport trial project is now underway. A 135-seater bus that runs on clean energy sources is part of the initiative, planned to be quite economical. If successful, the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model would be used to replicate it on key national highways, such as the Delhi-Jaipur stretch.