Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari to immediately declare the balance 1786.12 Kms of Guru Gobind Marg linking Sri Anandpur Sahib-Talwandi Sabo-Nanded as National Highway besides undertaking four lanning of the remainder 1775 Kms of this route on the priority.The Chief Minister raised this issue with Mr. Gadkari during a meeting here at latter’s official residence this evening. Taking part in the deliberations, the Chief Minister apprised Mr. Gadkari that tenth master of the Sikhs Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji undertook his last journey from Sri Anandpur Sahib to Talwandi Sabo and finally to Nanded in Maharashtra. He said the state government had already finalized the entire route of Guru Gobind Singh Marg after intense discussions and consultations with the eminent historians and Sikh Scholars and subsequently a high level team of officers travelled on the agreed routes in 2007 and then 2014.
On the national map, the road stretches from Sri Anandpur Sahib to Takhat Sri Dam Dama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo) in Punjab and then on to Takhat Sri Hazur Sahib (Nanded) in Maharastra having a total length of 3080 Kms. Of which, a portion of 605 Kms of this route falls in Punjab, 1123 Kms in Rajasthan, 164 Kms falls in Haryana, 630 Kms in Madhya Pradesh, 363 Kms in Maharashtra, 18 Kms in Delhi and 177 Kms of this rout falls in Uttar Pardesh.The Chief Minister informed Mr. Gadkari that 1294.35 Kms of this route had already been declared as National Highway and thus requested him to declare the remaining portion of 1786.12 Kms as National Highway. Likewise, 1305 Kms of this route was already four lanned and the balance portion of 1775 Kms of the road was required to be four lanned.
Concluding the discussions, Mr. Gadkari assured the Chief Minister that he would soon convene a joint meeting of the officers from his Ministry and other concerned states for a presentation on the alignment of this route traversing across these seven states. Mr. Gadkari told the Chief Minister that soon after the finalization of alignment, he would get the work started on the said route.The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar, Additional Chief Secretary PWD (B&R) Mr. NS Kalsi and Member National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Mr. Satish Chandra.