Delhi-Jaipur expressway to cost Rs 18,000 cr: Nitin Gadkari

225-km express highway will be 2nd in the country after Mumbai-Pune express highway

The Delhi-Jaipur express highway would be built at a cost of Rs 18,000 crore, Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

The advanced cement-concrete 225-km express highway will be the second in the country after Mumbai-Pune express highway and will pave the way for reaching Delhi from Jaipur in just one-and-a-half hour at 125 km/hour speed, the minister said after laying the foundation of road construction works in Dausa district on Friday.

"Agra-Delhi is also considered express highway but it is not according to the standard. After Mumbai-Pune express highway, Delhi-Jaipur will be the second express highway in the country," he said.

He further said that the Haryana government has given alignment permission and if Rajasthan help in land acquisition and road alignment permission, the work can commence this year itself.

The Union minister said that Mumbai-Baroda express highway is also in the plan.

On the long-pending Ring-Road construction work in Jaipur, Gadkari said that a high-level meeting with all the stakeholders was held today and it has been decided that NHAI would complete the work in 15 months.

Gadkari said that in last three years, road construction work of Rs 50,000 crore has been done in the state and another Rs 50,000 crore would be spent in the next two years.

"We need industries to create employment for youths. Industrialists demand water, power and road. Without roads we cannot expect development. Rajasthan is progressing fast. We want industrialists to come, give employment to youths and make Rajasthan and its people prosper," Gadkari said.

The Union minister announced various road construction works in the state.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said, "We will take 36 castes of the state together for the development of state. With small efforts, we will make the state a better place to live. We hope that promises that Union minister has made will realise fast," Raje said.