New 12-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to be ready in 2.5 years: Nitin Gadkari
The Greenfield project will cost Rs.1 lakh crore, cut travel time to half
Indian Observer Post
New Delhi, Sep 19, 2018: A new 12 lane super Expressway will be built between Delhi and Mumbai with an investment of Rs.1 lakh crore that will cut the travel time between the two cities to half at 12 hours and boost the growth and development of the region, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said at the 53rd Skoch Summit here on Tuesday.
“We will complete the road in two and half years. It will be a 12-lane expressway. You can travel from Delhi to Mumbai by road in 12 hours,” Gadkari said while addressing inaugural session of the 2-day SKOCH Summit.
He announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would do Bhoomi Poojan on the Delhi-Jaipur stretch of the Expressway within two months.
It will be largely a Greenfield project passing through the backward tribal areas of Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
According to Gadkari, the green realignment of the project would lead to Rs.16,000 crore saving to the exchequer in land acquisition cost.
The minister stressed that there would not be any problem in raising funds for the proposed infrastructure projects. He highlighted how he managed to raise funds for several of the projects through innovative measures.
“I have already awarded projects worth Rs.10 lakh crore and my target is Rs.25 lakh crore,” he said.
“If there is right thinking and proper policy then there is no dearth of technology and money,” the minister added.
Nitin Gadkari was conferred SKOCH Challenger Lifetime Achievement award for the year 2018 for his unparalleled contribution to India’s infrastructure development. The award was conferred on the first day of the 53rd SKOCH Summit.
“I thank SKOCH from the bottom of my heart for selecting me for this award,” said Gadkari after receiving the award, adding such honours and recognition would further inspire him to work harder for the betterment of the people.
Explaining the reason behind the selection of Nitin Gadkari for the coveted SKOCH Challenger Lifetime Achievement award, SKOCH Group Chairman Sameer Kochhar said the minister has left an indelible mark on India’s growth and development through his innovative out-of-the box thinking and leadership.
“Even after 75 years of Independence around 200 million people in India are still poor. Eliminating poverty is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the country. SKOCH Challenger Lifetime Achievement award is conferred on those who have made definitive contribution in removing poverty and accelerating growth,” said Kochhar.