Punjab CM meets Gadkari, seeks early approval of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday met Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to seek expeditious implementation of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway project, besides approval for important road projects in the state.

Seeking the intervention of Gadkari to speed up implementation of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway project, the chief minister brought to his notice that alignment of the expressway was finalised in consultation with Punjab and Haryana, a statement from the Punjab Chief Minister's Office said.

"He said the new alignment option proposed to be adopted would start from Amritsar and go straight up to Delhi Western Peripheral Expressway or Kundli-ManesarPalwal Expressway in Delhi, with spurs connecting important religious and economic centres such as Dera Baba Nanak, Qadian, Attari Border, Gandiwind, Tarn Taran, Goindwal Sahib, Makhu, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Shri Muktsar Sahib, Malerkotla, Talwandi Sabo, Patiala, Moonak etc," the statement said.

The chief minister emphasised that the construction of this expressway linking the national capital with the two border states of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir was of extreme importance and the ministry should ask the consultant to submit final draft of detailed project Report based on final alignment at the earliest, it added.

Seeking the upgradation, strengthening and development of missing links in Sri Hargobindpur-Batala-Fatehgarh Churian-Ajnala-Chogawan-Atari road in the border area of Punjab, the Chief Minister said that this 97.18 km road stretch was very important for defence forces as it provides alternate routes for movement of army in the area.

The statement added that the chief minister requested that keeping in view the increased traffic intensity on this road there was an urgent need to upgrade this entire road length and sought approval of this project at the earliest.

The CM also sought the nod for Rs 425.62 crore project submitted by the state for upgradation of 557 km road lengths of border districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot besides seeking expeditious implementation of other projects.

He thanked the union road and highways minister for successful completion of the project of upgradation of Bathinda-Zirakpur National Highway.

Singh also urged Gadkari for ensuring early nod to Rs 1,976 crore projects of relining of Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder.