Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has sought the inclusion of 13 road projects across the state in the Bharatmala Pariyojna, besides declaration of seven new road projects as National Highways.The Chief Minister has written to Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways & Shipping Nitin Gadkari, seeking his intervention in the matter to facilitate better connectivity and smooth commute for the people.The 13 road projects, covering 436.48 KM at a cost of Rs.1737.20 crore, are: Ludhiana-Hambra-Sidhwan Bet-Dharamkot-Kot Ise Khan (70 km), Patran to Moonak (24 km), Phillaur-Nagar-Rahon (32.50 km), Morinda-Kainaur-Ropar (18.03 km), Pakho Kanchian-Bhagta Bhai Ka (35 km), Abohar-Hanumangarh (21 km), Kohara-Sehnewal-Dehlon-Pakhowal to Dakha-Barnala Road (63.35 km), Bhawnigarh-Samana (23 km), Samrala-Payal-Rara-Jegara (40.38 km), Amritsar-Fatehgarh Churian-Dera Baba Nanak (45.75 km), Batala-Qadian (15.50 km), Lambi-Gidderbaha (16.75 km) and Ferozepur-Faridkot (31.22 km).
The seven road projects which the Chief Minister has called for declaration as New National Highways are: Patiala-Patran-Moonak road (Length 90 Km), Landran-Sirhind road (Length 32 Km), Gurdaspur-Sri Hargobindpur road (Length 40 Km), Beas-Mehta-Batala road (Length 35 Km), Ludhiana-Mattewara-Rahon (Length 23 Km), Kaputhala-Nakodhar-Nurmehal-Phillaur (Length 66 Km) and Kaputhala-Kartarpur-Kishangarh-Adampur (Length 35 Km).The Chief Minister has also requested Gadkari to get the construction of flyover in Bhawanigarh town on NH-64, at a cost of Rs.250 crore, expedited. The Patiala-Bathinda section of NH-64, with a length of 176 Km, had been recently 4-laned and toll was being collected by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), he pointed out, adding that the flyover would help avert traffic snarls and road accidents in the thickly populated Bhawanigarh city.
In his letter, Captain Amarinder Singh also raised the issue of connectivity of the industrial city of Mandi Gobindgarh with the economic corridor, at a cost of Rs. 800 crore. The central government is developing Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder routes under its Bharatmala Pariyojana. In the State of Punjab, the Economic Corridor of “Ajmer-Ludhiana”, passing through Malerkotala-Sangrur-Sunam-Moonak, has been approved. Connecting Mandi-Gobindgarh to this corridor would give a fillip to its Steel Industry, said the Chief Minister, suggesting that the direct connectivity be provided near Sangrur through a Feeder Route via Amloh-Babarpur-Chhintanwala-Bhalwan.Captain Amarinder Singh also demanded improvement of the junction at the start of the Patiala bypass by constructing a flyover to resolve the traffic problem at a cost of Rs. 25 crore, besides strengthening the bypassed sections of the National Highways NH-64 in Patiala city at cost of Rs. 60 crore.The Chief Minister has also urged the Union Minister to hand over implementation of 4-laning projects of National Highways in the state to PWD (B&R), which had the necessary experience for the task.