New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Wednesday that the government plans to invest Rs. 3 lakh crore to construct national highways in Assam, aiming to make them comparable to those in the United States.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Road Transport and Highways Minister assured that his ministry has ample funds for road infrastructure projects.
Gadkari highlighted the progress of key projects in Assam, including the Guwahati Ring Road, which is slated for completion by December 2027 at a cost of Rs. 5,800 crore.
He also revealed plans for a Rs. 12,000-crore tunnel under the Brahmaputra River in Dibrugarh, currently in the sanctioning phase.
“The national highway network in Assam will undergo a complete transformation, bringing significant investment, job creation, and development to the region,” Gadkari said, emphasising the government’s focus on infrastructure development in the Northeast under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Gadkari also addressed the elevated highway over Kaziranga National Park, stating that the project would commence soon after Cabinet approval.
“We have no fund constraints. Our management of national highways has earned high credibility in capital markets,” he remarked.
Responding to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s queries about road connectivity between Gulbarga and Bengaluru, Gadkari noted substantial progress in Karnataka since 2014 but acknowledged challenges in land acquisition and environmental clearances.
He invited Kharge to provide a list of pending projects for review.
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Dismissing allegations that highway numbering files require Prime Ministerial clearance, Gadkari clarified, “The Prime Minister has entrusted me with the responsibility, and my department operates independently.”
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also requested Gadkari to connect his birthplace, Tithana village in Haryana, with a national highway to enhance connectivity to Delhi.
Gadkari agreed to consider the proposal.
