The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken up 321 NHs projects in a length of about 8,544 km and amounting to INR 1,49,758 crore for improvement of important tourist / religious connectivity.
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that the Ministry is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs). The development of NHs is carried out after network planning on PM Gati Shakti principle with the whole of the government approach.
While planning the development, important economic, tourist and religious connections are invariably taken up with special focus on Way Side Amenities (WSAs), adequate signages and road side / median beautifications and more. Thus, there is no requirement of dedicated funding / scheme for development of tourist / religious destinations, the minister stated during his Lok Sabha session.
During his address, Prime Minister Modi underscored the city’s burgeoning appeal as a hub of faith and tourism, citing the escalating number of tourists visiting Kashi Vishwanath Dham, exceeding the count of 13 crore devotees. Emphasising domestic tourism, he reiterated his call to explore 15 domestic destinations before contemplating international travel, expressing contentment in witnessing the populace embracing domestic travel.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has undertaken several projects across various states and union territories aimed at enhancing connectivity to important tourist and religious destinations. In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, 2 projects worth 540 cr are underway, while Andhra Pradesh has 5 projects covering INR 2,588 crore. Arunachal Pradesh sees 7 projects totaling INR 7,648 crore rupees, while Assam has 9 projects for INR 1,861 crore. Ladakh has 8 projects aiming for INR 2,368 crore. Other states include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and more.
