Rajasthan is laggy in laying the road network: The country’s largest state, yet small states like Chhattisgarh and Punjab are ahead of us, only 3 out of 53 projects completed in 5 years

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In terms of area, the country’s largest state Rajasthan has been overlooked in the construction of National Highway (NH). 5 years ago, 5,128 km long 53 road projects have been approved by the Union Transport Ministry to convert them into National Highways, but Rajasthan state has been successful in making only 3 roads (356 km). At the same time, 50 roads with a length of 4772 km are still lying in cold storage due to the absence of gazette notifications.

Due to this slowness of the responsibilities of the road department, Rajasthan has stood in the category of lagging states of the country in the list of NH construction. Punjab and Chhattisgarh, which are included in the smaller states, are also far ahead of Rajasthan in terms of NH. According to the data, the longest road network of the National Highway has been established in the country in the last 5 years in Maharashtra, the home state of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Gujarat has also fulfilled this task responsibly by being self-dependent.

Maharashtra has highest construction
If we look at the construction of NH under the allocation made in the last four years (from April 2016 to March 2020), Maharashtra is at the forefront of this matter. In the home district of the Union Transport Minister, a budget of five figures i.e. 21 thousand 107 crores has been allocated during four years. Out of this, an expenditure of Rs 20 thousand 786 crore has also been made. Apart from this, there is no state where the budget for road construction has exceeded four digits. It can be said that the roads of entire Maharashtra are better than other states.

Gujarat does not need
In the matter of NH construction, Gujarat is not interested in the Centre. The road network in self-reliant Gujarat is better than in other states. The Government of Gujarat is constructing the Express Highway along with the National Highway through its own agency. Under this arrangement, the construction agency hires a person as a contractor. Gives him the responsibility of construction and hands it over till the toll collection. That’s why Gujarat hasn’t shown much trust in the Center in the last four years. Gujarat knows that the procedures are so complicated between getting money from the Centre. Apart from this, construction at the central level also takes a lot of time.

Punjab and Chhattisgarh also ahead
Maharashtra is at number one in the order of laying NH network during four years. On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh is in second place, Uttar Pradesh in third place, Madhya Pradesh in fourth place, Bihar in fifth place, Chhattisgarh in sixth place, Punjab in 7th, Karnataka in 8th and West Bengal in 9th order, where expenditure is equal with allocation. Is. On the 10th place is Rajasthan. Similarly, Telangana is at 11th place, Uttarakhand at 12th, Goa at 13th, Odisha at 14th, Tamil Nadu state at 15th.

If there is politics then how is Punjab ahead?
Interesting facts have also come to the fore in this whole case. Except Maharashtra, the top 5 states are such where the BJP government has been there. At the same time, Chhattisgarh at number six and Punjab at number seven are such states where Congress is in government. Despite this, he is included in the list of top ten states. On the other hand, there is a Congress government in Rajasthan too, but due to lack of will power, our state is at 10th position.

letter sent by the CM
Here, Tribal Area Association President Gopiram Agrawal has sent a letter to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP Rajasthan state, asking for cooperation in issuing notifications to 50 roads of 4772 km in Rajasthan. In the letter, he has also referred to the letters sent by the Chief Minister of the state on 27 November 2020 and 21 June 2021. Similarly, Agarwal has also written a letter to Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot. In this, like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh government, it has been said to take forward the pace of development in Rajasthan by making 2, 4 and 6 lanes on PPP mode.

the information received
In the Lok Sabha, Ravi Kishan and Ravindra Kushwaha wrote in part (e) of question number 2526, NH approval in the country through the Union Ministry of Transport, allocated to the states in the years 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 Information about the budget and their expenditure was sought. In response to this, the Ministry of Transport has given the details of allocation and expenditure (in crores) according to the financial year. Accordingly, we are telling you by adding the budget and expenditure blueprint allocated to the states in four years.

(All figures in crores)

Constantly writing letters for notifications

Chief Engineer (NH) at Jaipur Dr. Meghwal informed that 4772 km long 50 roads in the state have got in-principle approval from the Center on NH on January 28, 2016. From our side, letters are being written continuously to the Center to issue gazette notifications of these roads.

Such is the process
First of all, any state sends a proposal to the Union Transport Ministry to make MDR (Major District Road) and State Highway of its area as National Highway. In view of the need of National Highways, the Ministry gives consent to make them National Highways. After this, a special number is allotted to the road concerned by the Central Government, whose notification is issued. It is the ministry that decides which agency will make the road concerned. That state agency can be PWD or NHAI. Sometimes the ministry also gets the work done at its own level under direct supervision.

hence the delay
At present, there is an undeclared ban on such notification by the Ministry of Transport. There is no written order for this, but orally the Center has delayed such approval.