Roads to be built in 'mission mode' in insurgency-hit states

Construction of roads and bridges in Maoist-affected areas would be carried out in 'mission mode' with pre-cast and other advanced technologies, union minister Nitin Gadkari said Tuesday.

"Road projects will be carried out through 'mission mode' in coordination with the insurgency-hit states," the minister for road transport, highways and shipping said at a press conference after meeting chief ministers and ministers of eight Maoist-affected states in Naya Raipur.

The construction would be carried out with assistance from the Military Engineering Services (MES) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Gadkari said local contractors would also be engaged for road construction and other development work in violence-hit pockets.

He reviewed the progress of road infrastructure in the eight insurgency-hit states and heaped praises on security forces and construction agencies for executing key road projects in such areas despite all odds.

He stressed the need to involve local tribal youth in development work and appreciated the efforts of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for doing "excellent work" in creating infrastructure in Maoist-affected areas.

Gadkari told the ministers at the meeting that 75 percent of the Maoist problem could be solved if a network of roads and bridges is developed in such areas.

He emphasized the use of latest technology in road construction and insisted that road-laying projects should be completed in a time-bound manner.