Work on Bharatmala project to begin in March 2017

The project involves a highway network from Gujarat to Mizoram entailing an investment of Rs 90,000 crore

The government’s ambitious Bharatmala project connecting eastern and western India through 7,000 km of national highways is expected to commence by March 2017.

Detailed project reports are being readied and work will begin as soon as land acquisition is complete.

Preparation of project reports for 2,800 km of highways started in January and reports for the rest would be completed by next March, an official said.

The highway ministry and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be able to commence project auctions only after states make land available. Once the land was available, projects could be awarded in no time, an official said. Analysts, however, said land acquisition was likely to hold up these projects.

Bharatmala was announced last year and involves a highway network from Gujarat to Mizoram covering 10 other states and entailing an investment of Rs 90,000 crore. The average cost of constructing 1 km of road is Rs 13 crore. The government will seek assistance of the Border Roads Organisation in tough terrain.

The project on the lines of Sagarmala in which a string of ports will be built in the Indian Ocean to protect maritime interests. The government plans to improve road connectivity not just to coastal and border areas but also backward areas. Under the larger scheme, improving connectivity for the Char Dham circuit in Uttarakhand will also be undertaken. An investment of Rs 11,700 crore will be made on all-weather roads connecting Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.