Jamshedpur: Union Government is carrying out development in large scale to see the mineral-rich Jharkhand as one of the developed and prosperous state of the country, said Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highway Nitin Gadkari on Thursday.
He announced that road infrastructure would be developed at an investment of Rupees two lakh crores in Jharkhand before the end of 2024 to woo investment.
“The road development will atrract industries, mining activities will get impetus, create employment opportunities for youths”, Gadkari said while addressing a public meeting soon after he dedicated the first double decker corridor of the country online at Gopal Maidan here. Foundation of nine road and rail over bridges worth altogether over Rs.3800 crores was also laid by the minister in the presence BJP National Vice-President and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, BJP MP Bidyut Baran Mahato and Congress MP Geeta Koda.
Gadkari said Jharkhand has been plenty of mineral-reserve and forest and the state has immense contribution in the development of the nation. The state supply coal and iron-ore to the country.
A new investment in the state will help set up industries, generate employment opportunities, which will alleviate poverty, he said adding that water, power, transportation and communication are essential to attract investment.
Only 200/250 kms roads were linked with national highways in Jharkhand before 2014 but it has gone up to 4000 kms roads linked to highway after 2014 when Modi government came to power, the minister said.
We are not only developing national highway but also planned to invest Rupees two lakh crores for all round development of the state, he said.
Expressing happiness over inaugurating the first double decker road of the country here, Gadkari hailed local BJP MP Bidyut Baran Mahato, who had been mounting pressure for it for long.
Altogether, the minister dedicated a double decker corridor to the city and laid foundation of nine roads and rail over bridges (220 kms), which would be developed at a cost of over Rs.3800 crores.
About the proposed Ranchi Ring road project, the minister said he is going to announce it at a function in Ranchi later in the day.
He urged Tata Steel ManagingDirector to supply steel waste, which will be utilized for the construction of roads.
A 44 kms four-lane road between Saherbeda to Mahulia on Ranchi-Jamshedpur-Mahulia highway 33 has been built using the slag provided the private steel producer.
He urged Tata Steel to provide steel waste or whereever it was dumped in the state to for road construction in Bihar and Jharkhand.
While the slag landfill will be cleared, the waste will be utilized for infrastructure development, he said.
Eleven Road overbridge worth Rs.700 crores to be developed in Jharkhand including Latehar, Palamu, Jamtara and West Singhbhum districts and these projects would likely to be completed by February 2025.
Among other projects, he said seven green express highway were proposed to be developed in the country including Raipur-Dhanbad economic corridor worth Rs.15000 crores.
Development work in Jharkhand was being carried out in large scale, where the government will develop roads worth Rupees two lakh crores before the end of 2024, he announced.
About Ranchi-Jamshedpur national high, Gadkari said a book could be written on it as it had faced lot of glitches from court intervention to contractor termination, besides, facing difficulty in land acquisition and getting environment clearances.
However, the vehicles are moving hasssle-free and no politician whether it was a Chief Minister or Minister now talk about it, unlike complaints about incompletion of the 164 kms four-lane highway, which was built at a cost of Rs.1850 crores
