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LOK SABHA

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SYNOPSIS OF DEBATES

(Proceedings other than Questions & Answers)

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Monday, March 21, 2022 / Phalguna 30, 1943 (Saka)

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*MATTERS UNDER RULE 377

(1) SHRI DEVENDRA SINGH ‘BHOLE’ laid a statement regarding need to

expedite construction of overbridges in Akbarpur Parliamentary

constituency, Uttar Pradesh.

(2) SHRI GOPAL SHETTY laid a statement regarding need to free Hindu

Temples from Government Control.

(3) SHRI MANOJ TIWARI laid a statement regarding withdrawal of land

allocated to Delhi Government by DDA under various schemes due to its

non-utilisation.

(4) SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR laid a statement regarding

strengthening of infrastructure for medical education in the country.

(5) DR. DHAL SINGH BISEN laid a statement regarding need to provide

uniform financial assistance for construction of houses in rural and urban

areas under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

(6) SHRI CHUNNILAL SAHU laid a statement regarding need to make

provision for Anganwadi centres and schools for children of migrant

labourers in the vicinity of their work place particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

(7) DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY laid a statement regarding recognition of

aborigines of Santhal Pargana.

* Laid on the Table as directed by the Chair.

(8) DR. JAI SIDHESHWAR SHIVACHARYA SWAMIJI laid a statement

regarding need to include ancient pilgrim centres in Solapur district and its

adjoining areas under PRASAD scheme.

(9) SHRI RAHUL KASWAN laid a statement need to ban mobile

applications promoting online betting and gambling in the garb of fantasy

gaming.

(10) SHRI RAVI KISHAN laid a statement regarding need to set up a Super

Speciality Cancer Hospital in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

(11) SHRI VIJAYKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH laid a statement

regarding setting up of rubber research station at Kanyakumari, Tamil

Nadu.

(12) SHRI LAVU SRIKRISHNA DEVARAYALU laid a statement regarding

regulation of App Stores of technology Companies.

(13) SHRI SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL laid a statement regarding

construction of railway overbridge in Bardhaman Purba, Parliamentary

Constituency, West Bengal.

(14) DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN laid a statement regarding inclusion of

district of Gopalganj under Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission.

(15) SHRI RAMSHIROMANI VERMA laid a statement regarding need to

take necessary measures to extend the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Awas

Yojana to eligible people in Shrawasti Parliamentary Constituency, Uttar

Pradesh.

(16) SHRI E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER laid a statement regarding

problems of Indian students studying medicine in Ukraine.

(17) DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY laid a statement regarding

completion of work pertaining to National Waterway-4 in Tamil Nadu.

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THE UNION BUDGET-2022-23

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS

MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS - CONTD.

SHRI MARGANI BHARAT: The State of Andhra Pradesh has the second

longest coastline which is prone to natural calamities like floods and cyclone. Owing to

floods and cyclones the roads often get devastated. So, I would like to request the hon.

Minister to grant a financial aid to my State. With regard to my constituency, I would like

to bring a few points to the notice of the hon. Minister. One of such points is with regard

to the poor and shabby maintenance of roads by contractors. During the tenure of the last

Government, construction of few flyovers in my city, Rajahmahendrabaram was

sanctioned. But due to some technical issues, the construction work of those flyovers has

been delayed. Hence, I would like to know from the hon. Minister as to why the work of

the construction of these flyovers has been delayed. After the East Godavari got

bifurcated, Rajahmundry became an urban district. I would like to read out the names of

the junctions where the National Highway passes through the Rajahmundry city limits.

They are Rajanagaram Junction, Dewancheruvu Junction, Lalacheruvu Junction,

Morumpudi Junction, ONGC Junction, Bommuru Junction, Vemagiri Junction, Horlicks

Factory Junction and Kadiyapulanka Junction, Burrilanka Junction and Pottilanka

Junction. A number of accidents had taken place at these junctions. Hence, these

junctions require fly-overs, centre divider, lightings and also service roads along with

high mast lightings. I would like to request the hon. Minister to be magnanimous and

sanction the fly-overs wherever they are required. The hon. Minister considered the

Rajmahendravaram project and sanctioned a by-pass road where the works need to be

expedited. The road safety measures are not up to the mark. You can find that almost

eleven per cent of the world accidents are happening in our country. So, the Government

should seriously think on the road safety measures and at the same time, the Government

has to look into the standards of the vehicles, and ensure that the Motor Vehicles Act of

2019, which was passed in this House, is being implemented properly. As we all know, in

the year 2017-18, the Government of India allocated about Rs. 800 crore for the roads in

the States. But we have been confined or restricted to Rs. 250 crore in this year‘s Budget.

So, I would request the hon. Minister to distribute the funds and give more financial aid

to the States. The NH 516E has been declared as Green National Highway Corridor

which falls in my constituency. I would like to know the progress of rehabilitation and

resettlement and the steps taken to release the money for this purpose. Schedule 13 of the

Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act mandates to construct a rapid road from Amaravati

to Hyderabad and connect important cities in Telangana. I want to know what is the

progress regarding this work. Then, 33 ROBs and RUBs are going to be constructed

under Setu Bharatam in Andhra Pradesh. I request the Minister to give the details of this

project. Bhogapuram six-lane road reduces the distance to Visakhapatnam Port and it

benefits even Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The work of this highway may be expedited.

There is a proposal to construct a Greenfield Highway to connect Krishnapatnam Port at

an estimated cost of Rs. 462 crore and also to construct a highway from Nellore to

Krishnapatnam Port at an estimated cost of Rs. 360 crore. I want to know what the

present status of the construction of these roads isand whether there is any cost and time

overrun relating to these projects.

DR. S.T. HASAN: I want to convey some important problems to the Government

through you. It has been 25 years since a very important highway, which runs from Delhi

to Lucknow, is being built, but till date it has not been completed. Even today, work is

not being done on 6-7 places and there is long queue of vehicles at those places. Taking it

on priority, please build this important highway as soon as possible. In my constituency

there is Badapur area, which is a big town, a road crosses through this town. The road

further goes to Kotdwar and from Kotdwar to Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham. This road

is only nine and a half feet or ten feet wide at some places. It is quite urgent to construct a

bypass near this Badapur town. The road to Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham is also short

through this area. A highway from Moradabad to Kashipur and further to Garhwal, on

which the world famous park Jim Corbett National Park is situated, which attracts tourists

from all over the world is in a dilapidated condition. There is a very narrow bridge, on

which there is one way traffic at one time. There are also very long jams there. A

proposal to make it four-lane has been passed, but for some reason, the work is not being

done further. I request you to take it on priority and get this work done, so that the foreign

tourists visiting the park can easily go to the Corbett National Park and they can also go

to Ranikhet etc.

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE: The Konkan people have a lot of

expectations and many demands which are pending since a long time. There is one

Mumbai-Goa Highway especially from Panvel to Parorasapattu Panji Goa. First part was

up to Indapur. For the last eight to ten years, the work is in progress, but unfortunately,

the bituminous road gets damaged every year due to heavy rains in Konkan. I would urge

to instruct the concerned authorities for making this a concrete road. Raigarh-Ratnagiri-

Sindudurga going up to Goa should be taken up on priority basis. Another road is from

Indapur to Mahad. In Mahad, due to lot of floods huge waterlogging is there. Old Savitri

Bridge is not dismantled. It was damaged further. I would urge the hon. Minister to

look into all these roadways and take corrective action. Similarly, in Kolhapur, there is an

underpass where 33 feet road is being constructed and people are getting harassed. So,

that work should also be attended to. Raigad Fort is the Capital of Shri Chhatrapti Shivaji

Maharaj Empire. Hence it is requested to make National Highway NH-166 going

towards the Raigad Fort as a historical path by considering beautification point,

historical sign boards, monuments showing history of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

and the importance of Raigad Fort. I would request to provide beautification spots at

entry point and at exit point of Tunnel in Kashedi Ghat on NH-66. One National

Highway was announced from Varkala To Alibbaug In my Raigad district. But that has

not been considered yet. There is one road passing through my district and that is

Murbat-Karjat-Khopoli. About 80 per cent of the work is completed. Heavy loaded

vehicles are travelling along there. Sixty to seventy years old bridges are there. They

need immediate attention. In my parliamentary constituency, there are roads going from

Wakan to Khopoli, Parli and Pedli. Both the villages, require a bypass. So, those

bypasses should also be approved in the second phase. There is another road which goes

from Pune to Dighi. That is a port area. Pune is also an educational hub in Maharashtra.

So, two bypasses are required near Manegaon and Indapur also. Thousands of people are

going to the Konkan region, especially, to Goa but due to heavy rains they face a lot of

problem. So, the road from Panvel to Indapur is also very important. Another road is

from JNPT which is one of the first ports and is giving maximum revenue to the

Government of India. A lot of traffic is there near that port. That road also needs to be

repaired.

SHRI CHANDESHWAR PRASAD : For the financial year 2022-23, the

Ministry of Road and National Highways is estimated to spend about Rs.2 lakh crore.

The result will certainly be pleasant. The Central Government is doing a pretty good job

in the national highways sector. The Government of Bihar has also done a commendable

job in the field of roads.In order to take this work of Bihar forward, it is necessary that

the Government of India should provide some more financial assistance. I have requested

several times to construct an over-bridge over the underpass (NH-110) on the road from

Jehanabad to Arwal, but it is being denied for various reasons. A flyover should be

constructed on the under pass that is at NH-110 N.H. Work is underway on N.H.83 and

NH-110 in my parliamentary constituency Jehanabad. It is a commendable work and a

green-field expressway (119D) is going to be built. Road accidents have emerged as a

major tragedy in India. The number of youths among the dead is the highest, which is

even more serious. Despite all the steps taken, road accidents and deaths due to them

could not be checked. A large number of road accidents and deaths also occur due to road

potholes. Maintenance of quality at the time of construction of national highways is in the

interest of the country and the society. Quality control is not ensured in some of the NH

projects. The Ministry of Highways should also involve the local MPs somewhere in

maintaining the quality of construction of highways. Even after the completion of many

road related projects, it is a sensitive thing for the State Governments to wait for funds

from the Central Government. This has also to be taken care of, because the state

governments have limited resources if they get the funds on time then the projects are

completed quickly.

DR. M.K. VISHNU PRASAD: To achieve 5 Trillion Dollar Economy, this road

network plays a very important role. This Government is able to complete only 6,900

kilometres of road, out of 34,500 kilometres to be completed under Bharatmala Project in

this period of five years. They are supposed to finish it by 2024. Only 35 per cent of the

work is completed. India is standing at number two in the world in terms of highways.

But unfortunately what is the quality? The quality of the roads is pathetic but the amount

of money being spent is huge. One more important thing is what is the road safety that we

are having? Out of Rs.2 lakh crore only Rs.356 crore is spent on road safety. It is 1.67 per

cent of the total budget whereas the USA is spending six per cent of its budget. A number

of fatalities and road accidents are taking place. The speed of the vehicles has increased.

The number of vehicles has increased. But the quality of road is poor. With no safety and

precautionary measures being taken we are losing a lot of valuable lives. So, these things

have to be considered very seriously by this Government. The projects of NHAI are

getting unduly delayed. When the NHAI is there why a new private limited company

called, ‗National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML)‘, is being formed?

In my own Arani Parliamentary Constituency, one road from Tindivanam to Krishnagiri

is being laid for more than 10 years. There is no clarity about new projects being

launched by the Government. I request the hon. Minister to come up with a White Paper

on how many projects are being stalled, how many contracts are being paid the

arbitration fee and in how many projects the contractors have been changed because the

main problem with the NHAI is delay. The feasibility report and everything of the project

is complete. In my constituency, there are about 10 districts and there is zero proposal

for construction of village roads under PMGSY. The Government says that PMGSY has

plenty of funds. When the proposal is there, they say that it is being referred to

NABARD or to the other highway construction authorities. It should be scrutinized.

Finally, I want to put a demand on behalf of the entire State of Tamil Nadu. Some 1500

years back, there was a king called, Raja Rajeshwara. The Government has also used his

name in Bombay Port Trust. If the Government installs a statue of the King, the State of

Tamil Nadu will be very grateful.

SHRI TAPIR GAO: There was an institute called the Planning Commission.

The policy for construction of roads in North-Eastern states and Himalayan states was

formulated in the Planning Commission itself. After assuming power, two lane roads

along the McMahon Line are being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh. Today, road from

Taga to Densok has been constructed. Road has also reached from Mallari to upper

Imkin and to Kalapaani valley. This valley is located at Nepal-India-Tibbetan boarder.

After the PM Gati Shakti Yojana, car rallies of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porshe and Audi,

names of which I have not even heard, are being organized in my Parliamentary

Constituency of Arunachal Pradesh. The Government has intended to change the

condition, topography and direction of the country by providing a Budgetary provision of

two lekh forty two thousand and twenty crore rupees for this sector. Arunachal Pradesh

has prepared a project to construct a frontier highway along the McMahon Line. There is

a proposal for construction of a tunnel near McMahon Line. There is urgent need for

construction of road from Mipi to Andrela in the Diwang valley district. The ITBP and

the Army have also demanded for a road from Malini to Baluah and Anni to Angula pass

for security reasons Shergaon-Shergelemu-Mandala-Phudung-Nagajiji-Mukto-Tawang is

the shortest way to reach Tawang for safety and security in future.

SHRI HASNAIN MASOODI: This year, a budgetary provision of about two

lakh crore has been made for this sector which is very important. However, there are

some areas of concern. The quality of roads being constructed is not good. The quality

of our roads ranks 44th

in the world and the roads of Germany ranks first in terms of

quality in the world. Jammu and Kashmir faces some challenges in terms of construction

of roads. Our biggest problem relates to NH-44. The life line of Jammu to Srinagar

remains closed for one and a half month in every three months‘ time. Therefore, there is

a need of elevated road between Ramban and Banihal. The state needs five tunnels also.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir needs good connectivity of roads. I have made mention

of Desa-Kapran tunnel. This tunnel will facilitate the Amarnath pilgrimage and will also

ease out the traffic there.

SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH: I, through you, would like to make two-three

points. A National Highway No. 139 passes through capital city of Patna running

through many districts like Patna, Arwal and Aurangabad enters Jharkhand terminating in

Palamu district. I had submitted a proposal in the Ministry long back to convert it into a

four lane road. The laid down criteria of GOI for construction of four lane road is ten

thousand PCU but the PCU on this roads is about 12000 and if the fresh survey for

determination of PCU is carried out then, it should be around 18000 PCU. There is a

huge traffic load on this road. I would therefore request the hon. Minister to include the

proposal for converting this road into a four lane road, in his reply to the debate. I have

two more suggestions to offer. The work on the National Highway-19 is in full swing to

convert it into a six lane road but the sections from Sasaram toll to Dobhi and from Dobhi

to Delhi which has a length of 1020 km, are not in good shape. The repair and proper

upkeep of this road stretch should be ensured.

SHRI P. VELUSAMY: The Kodaikanal-Munnar Road (Old SH-18) was located

in my Dindigul Parliamentary Constituency. It was one of the highest roads in India

south of Himalayas prior to its closure in 1990. This project is to be taken under CRIF

scheme. While the NHAI is developing 3500 km of national highways in Tamil Nadu, it

has completed only 125 km of the project length. The ministry should take steps to speed

up the work of remaining 2214 km of ongoing projects on war footing. There is a major

junction on Tiruchi-Dindigul highway at Seelapadi of 417.2 km which was built by

NHAI. An under pass needs to be built on this highway at Seelapadi crossing for the

benefit the local people.

SHRI DEVAJI PATEL : In the last seven years, this Government has laid special

emphasis on roads in the field of transport, and laid a network of roads all over India. In

comparison to last year, Rupees 68 ,000 crore more have been allocated, so a little

attention should be paid to my area too. Churu and Jalore fort should also be included in

it so that from the tourism point of view, the people of my area also get some benefits.

When a National Highway was inaugurated in Udaipur, an in-principle announcement

was made that a National Highway would be constructed from Rohat to Sanchor, via

Jalore-Karda. I would like to request the Hon'ble Minister that the Sanchor National

Highway from Rohat to Karda should be included in 'PM Gatishakti'. There is a black

spot in Sanchor, where several accidents take place, so, a bridge should be built there. If

the said black spot will be replaced by a bridge there, our residents will be safe. There is a

need to construct a bypass road from Jherda to Sirohi via Revdhar and Mandar. With the

help of Central Road Fund, roads in Bhilmal, Punasa, Methi, Beri, Kalandi, Mansingh

Road etc. should be completed. These small roads will also develop our area. I want to

request the hon. Minister that something should be done for the DLC too because due to

this, the farmers are getting ruined. The DLC of land worth Rs. eight lakh is only Rs. 25

thousand. This is sheer injustice being done to the farmer. I am asking for a service road

where only the tractor can ply. If a farmer takes his tractor from that service road to his

farm, then there will be no quarrel with another farmer and the farmer will be able to sow

peacefully in his land.

SHRI P. RAVEENDRANATH KUMAR : We must appreciate that innovative

concepts by our hon. Minister of Road Transport and Highways are fast transforming the

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways into the leading engine of growth. Through the

PM Gati Shakti – National Master Plan, our national highways network will be expanded

by 25,000 kilometres in 2022-23. Similarly, the Bharatmala Project is aimed at bringing

smooth connectivity across the nation with improved roads and infrastructure. I am

hopeful that with a strong industrial and agricultural base, Tamil Nadu will receive its

due share in the increased allocation. I request that southern districts of Tamil Nadu may

be paid more attention while sanctioning projects as it will help in the economic

advancement of this region. In my Parliamentary Constituency – Theni, the pre-

construction work of the four lane section of NH-85 between Usilampatty to

Bodinayakkanur is pending approval of the Land Acquisition Committee. I request the

hon. Minister to kindly ensure the speedy approval and clearances for this project. It is

my humble request that a new Green field four-lane project connecting Dindigul and

Kumily may kindly be approved. In my Theni Parliamentary Constituency itself, the

Sakkulathumettu Road project is pending approval of forest department for more than

four decades. More innovative techniques should be smartly integrated to balance

infrastructural landscape with environmental protection. I request sanctioning DPR for a

National Highway connecting NH-183 in Tamil Nadu and NH-185 in Kerala benefitting

both people as well as the wild animals in the region. Contemporary technologies

including artificial intelligence may be incorporated to improve the efficiency of the

existing transportation infrastructure through real time traffic flow management.

SHRIMATI PRATIBHA SINGH : Roads play a vital role in boosting the

economy of a hilly State like Himachal Pradesh. Thus, it is vital for economic

development of the state. NHAI is currently developing and four-laning Parwanoo –

Solan – Shimla – Dhalli NH 22 (New NH-05) and Garamaura – Sawarghat – Mandi –

Manali NH-21 in Himachal Pradesh. But, the pace of the on-going four-laning work is

much slow and with such a pace it will be extremely difficult to complete the said

projects on time. Local people have raised many grievances and demands with respect to

the on-going four-laning work. There have been massive soil erosion in view of vertical

cutting of hills, dumping of debris down the hills and felling of thousands of trees. These

have caused irreparable damage. Therefore, it is requested that some concrete way out

should be formulated by developing service roads to connect village and local roads to

newly constructed four-laned National Highway. The other major issue is the issue of

compensation provided in lieu of land acquisition to the affected parties. Roads are

undoubtedly the lifeline in the hills, but the four-laning projects across the state has

brought misery to thousands of people who were uprooted and has lost their livelihood.

Only the circle rate has been taken into consideration and not the market rate while

working out the compensation. The frequent long jams due to excavation works for four-

laning work on National Highways has impacted the tourism industry badly. Stakeholders

were not taken into confidence before planning and execution of four-lane projects.

Fearing inconvenience, tourists were apprehensive of visiting Shimla, Manali,

Dharamsala and other parts of Himachal Pradesh. People have not just been uprooted or

displaced but have also lost their livelihood. Please look into these issues. Bhuntar Bridge

at Kullu is required to be constructed urgently to ensure all weather connectivity to the

international tourist destination, Manali. Another bridge over Tirthan river is required to

be constructed urgently to ensure all-weather connectivity and smooth flow of traffic.

The proposal for providing year-round connectivity by constructing a tunnel under Jalori

Pass has been moving at a snail‘s pace. This needs to be prioritized. Chandigarh-Manali-

Mandi Road connects the world famous tourist destinations of Kullu and Manali with our

national Capital. The National Highway Authority needs to prioritise its maintenance

work on war footing basis for the benefit of public at large. There should be proper

monitoring of ongoing four-lane work. Adequate measures and relief should be provided

to the households who have been affected due to land acquisition and four-lane work. I

would like that the Government take notice of these issues and work should be done at a

faster pace so that it is completed very soon.

ADV. A.M. ARIFF : I take this opportunity to acknowledge the interest shown by

the Minister of Road Transport and Highways for the development of national highways

in the State of Kerala in a time-bound manner. Unfortunately, this Government is

adopting a policy of relying on the private sector excessively for the development of

roads. All the projects are implemented in Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) mode.

By doing this, the entire burden is passed on to the travellers in the form of tolls to be

paid by the road users. As per the agreement made by the NHAI with the private players,

the tolls rates are to be reduced to 40 per cent after the construction cost is recovered. The

Government should make some changes in the stipulations for construction of roads

under PMGSY. These roads need to be modified on the basis of density of population

and the land available in the States. I urge upon the hon. Minister to allot more funds for

State Government projects. I demand that the hon. Minister should urgently intervene for

changing the approved design for the grade separator and instead consider construction of

an elevated highway in the form of an open flyover in Karunagapally. There is an urgent

need to complete the widening of National Highways in Kerala on a war footing so that

movement of vehicles would become easy.

KUNWAR DANISH ALI: NHAI is in debt of about Rs 3,38000 crore. How to

get out of this in the coming time, is a matter of serious concern. The condition of state

highways within the states is very bad. The allocation of your department is negligible.

Only 200 crores have been given, whereas five to six thousand crores should be allocated.

The National Highway Authority of India is a big and good organization, but the problem

is that most of the officers who go there go on deputation. Even today many important

posts are vacant for a long time. It is my appeal to the government that there should be

direct recruitment in NHAI. Highways are easy to build, but not easy to maintain. The

maintenance allocation in 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been utilized only 60 percent. If

suggestions are sought from public representatives while preparing the DPR, then

perhaps the long plans will be implemented very easily. Kuchesar Chopla to Shahpur,

Kithor road, which is connected to 30-35 villages, has not been provided a cut for descent

and ascent. A cut should be provided there.

SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV : Investment in infrastructure will bring down

logistics cost which is currently 13 to 14 per cent in India; the government is trying to

bring it down to eight percent. This will make India's goods cheaper in the global market,

increase exports and make India's economy self-reliant. The ecosystem of the startup will

develop from village to port. I request the Hon'ble Minister to connect all the Jyotirlingas

of India, which are not connected to four lane roads, and construct the Mahadev circuit. A

flyover should be constructed at Ramkrishna Nagar, Khemnichak and Jaganpura between

Anishabad to Zero Mile of National Highway 30 along with service lanes on both sides.

National Highway-139 from Aurangabad to Patna should be converted into four lane. An

Underpass should be constructed near village-Kansari near Beldarichak at 6 lane national

highway from Ramnagar Kanhauli. The canceled alignment of Nathupur Bhusaula of

Patna-Buxar National Highway, should be made a 4-lane road by making it a part of NH-

139. Construction work of Patna-Dobhi NH-30 should be done at the earliest. Service

lane should be constructed in Nadaul of Patna-Gaya-Dobhi NH-83.

SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL: While developing the highways, their safety

system should also be strengthened, so that accidents on them can be prevented. I would

like the quality control check to be done in a more robust manner. If any engineer or

contractor is found guilty, he should be punished. The Comptroller and Auditor General

of India has also raised questions on the extent to which private companies have been

given a free hand to collect toll tax from vehicles on the roads. According to a report,

Rajasthan is the third state after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, where it is costly to drive

on the highway. I demand that the country should be made toll free. There have been

1,16,496 road accidents on National Highways in the year 2020. That's why I request you

to take strict steps to rectify the black spots which were identified and are yet to be

identified. More toll tax has been collected from the tolls located on the national

highways like Jaipur-Kishangarh, Gurugram-Jaipur, Ringas-Jaipur and Jaipur-Mahua and

Jaipur-Tonk-Deoli etc. passing through Rajasthan. Will the hon. Minister make these

roads toll free? Land was acquired for Bharatmala Project under which higher

compensation was paid to the farmers in Punjab and Haryana and other States than those

in Rajasthan. Farmers of Rajasthan should also be paid higher compensation. More funds

should be allocated for my district, Nagaur through CRIF. Flyover should be constructed

at the bypass road outside Kuchera Municipal Area on the Ajmer-Nagaur National

Highway and at Bhakrodh and Khinvsar also on the Nagpur-Jodhpur National Highway.

SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA: During the last seven years, wonderful

road work has been done in Amravati. There are 14 major State Highways in

Maharashtra. They should be declared National Highways. A Metro should be introduced

from Nagpur to Amravati along the road. There is a place namely Ghatang road in

Bhandum area in Melghat that is a tribal area in my constituency and roads are required

there. I would request the Minister to pay attention to such roads. The flyover at

Bhadnera road should be made a four lane flyover. The work on over bridge from Chitra

Chowk to Lal Khedi in Amravati has started. That work should be accelerated. I would

visit the hon. Minister with all the details.

SHRI KESINENI SRINIVAS : This is the first time in history that fiver per cent

of the Budget is allocated to this Ministry. The Budget allocated by the Ministry towards

road safety and maintenance of National Highways is very less. I would request the

Ministry to allocate more Budget for road safety and maintenance of National Highways.

In my State of Andhra Pradesh, 433 black spots were indentified out of which only 76

black spots have been cleared. I would request the hon. Minister to clear the rest of the

black spots and ensure safety. There are nearly 37 delayed road projects in the State of

Andhra Pradesh. I would request the hon. Minister to immediately fast-track these

projects. I request the Minister to accept and sanction our proposal of extending NH-30

from Ibrahimpatnam to Amravati and expand the Vijayawada-Hyderabad NH-65 to six-

lane highway and initiate the Greenfield expressway from Amaravathi-Vijayawada to

Hyderabad immediately. Promoting the electric vehicles is very much welcomed and

appreciated. CAPEX to buy an electric commercial vehicle is very high. I would like to

request the Ministry to look into this. Commercial manufacturing of CNG vehicles is also

supported and promoted by the Ministry.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: Wonderful performance has been showcased

by the Ministry and the National Highways Authority of India in strengthening the road

infrastructure in the country. The total Budget allocation for the Ministry of Road

Transport and Highways is around Rs. 1.9 lakh crore for the financial year 2022-23. The

ambitious plan of this Ministry is to construct 25,000 kms. of National Highway in the

financial year 2022-23. The Prime Minister‘s Gati Shakti Master Plan is the flagship

programme of the Government to facilitate faster movement of the goods and the people.

I have concerns regarding the performance of the consultancy to which the National

Highway Authority of India is entrusting the entire work. These consultancies are not

consulting the Members of Parliament. So, kindly give a direction to these consultancies

to have a consultation with the people‘s representatives before finalising the alignment

and plan. Advance contracts of maintenance and repair of national highways must be

given. In the case of national highways the quality of work should be reviewed from time

to time and accountability must be fixed. Generally, there is delay in completion of NHAI

projects. Lack of manpower is one of the major problems the NHAI is facing. Procedural

inefficiencies in NHAI have been noted by the C&AG. That has to be looked into.

Estimated expenditure per kilometre road is very high. We must have a stringent policy

committed to improving the automobile safety ecosystem. Star safety rating system

should be not only for the cars but all the automobiles. I suggest to the hon. Minster to

have NH 183A connected to NH 183 from Chavara, Titanium junction to Bharanikavu

so that it can be connected to NH 66.

SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL: There are good roads, big flyovers,

expressways and super-expressways in the country. The credit of all this good work goes

to Shri Nitin Gadkari ji. A flyover should be constructed at Jalna road in my

constituency, Aurangabad. If the Minister is very active and some officers in his

department do not cooperate then it does not work. The road from Aurangabad to Ajanta

has not been repaired even in the last four years despite a tweet from Gadkari Saheb.

When roads are good, number of accidents is increasing year over year. Today many

people are dying because of drunk and driving. Let us know as to how many people have

lost their lives due to over speeding and due to drunk and driving? We pay a lot of

attention to National Highways, Super Expressways, but why is the Pradhan Mantri Gram

Sadak Yojana, which passes through the villages, is in such a dilapidated condition? The

Government should set up a team for quality control. Whether it is Pradhan Mantri Gram

Sadak Yojana or the road made with the money of CRF fund, its quality should be

checked. A super expressway should be constructed from Aurangabad to Pune. Shirdi is

a place where devotees from all over the country and from all over the world

visit. Aurangabad and Shirdi should be connected by a super expressway.

*SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

SHRI RAJU BISTA: Our region has been cheated since last 65 years. I would

like to request the government to pay special attention towards Darjeeling area, which is

adjacent to the four international borders. For the last 7 years, the North-East, the

Himalayan region and the border regions are developing very fast. India has the second

largest road network in the world after America. Around 65 percent of the goods is

transported through the road. The government is also promoting and green

technology. Green Express Highway are being constructed. Seamless transport is being

promoted. In our area, work is going on under many schemes worth about Rs 2400 crore

on NH-717A which runs from Kalimpong to Gangtok, Sikkim,. I believe that it can be

further accelerated. Siliguri city is situated in the lap of Himalayas. Today the whole city

is troubled due to traffic problems and small roads. An alternative highway should be

* Please see supplement.

constructed from Siliguri to reach Darjeeling. Under the Parvatmala scheme, ropeways

should be built at three places in Darjeeling from Singmari to Singla, from Batase to

Rock Garden and from Tungsung to Pandam.

SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY: About six Greenfield express

highways have been sanctioned in our State to be completed over the next five years.

Funds sanctioned for road safety in 2022-23 are less than 0.2 per cent of the Ministry‘s

total budget. The State‘s representatives have been requesting since 2021 that the

Narsipatnam-Sabbavaram Junction Road and Narsipatnam-Tuni Road should be declared

as national highways. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has urged the Central

Government to establish a Multi-Model Logistics Park at Kopparthi in Kurnool district of

Andhra Pradesh. The Ministry has not mentioned about this in the Demand for Grant.

The issuance of CFS license for the Multi-Model Logistics Hub at Vishakhapatnam

remains unfulfilled till date. The non-issuance of the license is hampering the full

realization of the Park‘s economic potential. I request that the Ministry of Road

Transport and Highways may coordinate with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and

Waterways to expedite the same.

DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN: In the first phase of Bharatmala Pariyojana, the

construction work of a total length of 20,632 km has already been completed and the

construction work of 7,375 km of road will be completed by December 2022. I request

the Hon'ble Minister that the work of the highway should be started by including the

Saran Dam in the National Highway which is from Dumaria Ghat to Siswan, UP border.

With this, people of many districts will get a direct route to connect with the capital

Patna. Besides, agriculture and other business will be benefited and employment

opportunities will also be generated. I support this Demands for Grants.

DR. DHAL SINGH BISEN: By continuously building bridges on inter-state

routes and borders, the Government is creating new dimensions of development. People

from all over the world come to see Pench National Park. There was such a situation

from Jabalpur to Nagpur that it used to take four to six hours but in today's situation we

can reach Pench from Nagpur in one and a half hours and we can reach in two and a half

hours from Jabalpur to Pench. Due to the construction of roads in such a way, all

facilities are in our reach today, whether it is a matter of education or health and the

country has moved towards rapid development. I would like to take this opportunity to

heartily thank the Government for sanctioning the roads under CRIF. Kanha National

Park is located in my Lok Sabha constituency. People suffer a lot due to lack of roads

there. I would like to urge upon the Government that Bhandara should be connected by

road from Balaghat. Similarly, a four-lane road should be constructed from Balaghat to

Seoni. My province is adjacent to Maharashtra. There is a bridge between Balaghat and

Nagpur at Bonkatta. The construction of an inter-state bridge at Bonkatta will bring great

convenience to the public.

SHRI M. SELVARAJ: Road infrastructure is crucial for development and social

integration of this country. National Highways play a very important role in building road

network in the country. In Tamil Nadu, about 25 NH projects are pending. Talking about

my Constituency, Nagapattinam, it has 100 kilometres of long coastal area having non

major ports and fishing ports. So, I would request the Government to allocate funds under

the Bharatmala Pariyojana to improve the connectivity of these areas. Similarly, there are

many National Highway Road projects in my Constituency which are pending for long.

The Government should give priority to complete the project for easy and smooth

movement of common people. As regard the road from Trichy to Vedaranyam, the

Government announced this as the National Highway but so far, the funds have not been

allocated and it is still at the survey level. Again, I strongly oppose the working of

outsourcing workers in road sector. The Government can utilise the Class-4 workers and

employ them permanently. Similarly, the Government should also consider installing the

CCTV cameras for ensuring the safety of the commuters. Also, the toll exemption should

be given to the domestic vehicles.

SHRI RAMSHIROMANI VERMA: My Parliamentary Constituency, Shravasti

is among the aspirational districts. This parliamentary constituency consists of two

districts Shravasti and Balrampur. I would like to draw the attention of the Government

towards the basic facilities of this area. There is a need for speedy completion of Bhinga-

Lakshmanpur market road in Shravasti district. Similarly, there is a need for widening

and strengthening of Hariharganj Bazar to Bankatwa road in Balrampur district. There is

also a need to widen various roads in this district. Apart from this, it is necessary to

construct bus stoppages and waiting rooms at different places in Shravasti district. I

would also request that the operation of Shravasti airport should also be started at the

earliest. There is a need to take my area forward by providing a special package to this

area, as well as special attention needs to be paid to road transport and highways in the

entire country and the state.

SHRI SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY: The flyover at Phillaur has become

a cause of great inconvenience in my area. Therefore redesigning of this flyover should

be done. Similarly, we have also requested the Railways to extend the ROB above PAP

Junction. I would also urge upon the Government that in coordination with the Railways,

ROB should be made operational at the earliest. Similarly, the Sixth Lane Road at Surya

Enclave Junction should also be redesigned. I would also request that some concrete

arrangements should be made to improve the drainage system of all NHs. My third point

is that the project related to National Highway 03 in Adampur should be completed.

SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH: Roads bring progress, as well as generate

growth and markets. Earlier, people used to get funds from CRF on the request of the

Member of Parliament, but nowadays this provision has been changed. So, I would

request the Government to keep Member of Parliament as direct partners in the matter of

Central Road Fund. Similarly, people living within 10 km radius of the toll should be

facilitated with toll free movement. I would also request that steps should be taken by the

Government to stop the frequent accidents in the old North-South Corridor and East-West

Corridor. Similarly, there is a need to build an expressway to connect all the important

roads in my Parliamentary Constituency. I would also like to say that the National

Highway built in Raisen district is of sub-standard quality. Action should be taken in this

regard. My second request is that all the completed highway projects should be properly

maintained. At the same time, I would also request the government to make some

comprehensive plans for the drainage system of National Highways.

SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN: As well all know, road infrastructure is

very important for the growth of any country. The Government is proposing so many

highways, including Greenfield highways and expressways. But I am constrained to

mention that out of these Greenfield highways and expressways, there is not a single

expressway proposed in Kerala. More than 30 years ago, there was a proposal for

constructing a bypass at Tripunithura. Now, the consultants have prepared a new

alignment which is avoiding the Tripunithura Byepass. So, I would request the

Government to take up this matter and give directions to the NHAI that they should

construct a spur connectivity for the Tripunithura town. Similarly, I would request that

immediate steps may be taken for construction of a Greenfield highway from Trivandrum

to Angamaly. Again, the proposal should be taken up immediately with regard to

connecting NH-183 and NH-85.

** ** ** **

UTPAL KUMAR SINGH

Secretary General

** Supplement covering rest of the proceedings is being issued separately.

© 2022 BY LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT

NOTE: It is the verbatim Debates of the Lok Sabha and not the Synopsis that should be

considered authoritative.

English and Hindi versions of Synopsis of Debates are also available at

http://loksabha.nic.in.

Not for Publication

For Members only

LOK SABHA

___

FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO SYNOPSIS OF DEBATES

(Proceedings other than Questions & Answers)

______

Monday, March 21, 2022 / Phalguna 30, 1943 (Saka)

______

THE UNION BUDGET-2022-23

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS

MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS - CONTD.

** ** ** **

DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED: I would like to request that the

following national highways NH-31, NH-28, NH-28A , NH-28B , NH-30, NH-30A, NH-

80, NH-81, NH-83, NH-117 should be upgraded to super expressway with 6-8 lanes in

Bihar.The pilgrimage destinations like Patna Sahib. Bodh Gaya, Sasaram, Maner and

Nalanda etc. should be interconnected with super highways. NHAI guidelines for

trauma center in highways should be strictly followed and trauma centers built. By-pass

should be developed and flyovers and drainage underway be constructed in Kishanganj.

Flyovers at Dagarwa, Baisi, Kishanganj to Ruidhara Maidan, on NH-31 to Tegaria and

Panjipara, Dhantola in West

Bengal are required. The toll plazas on NH-31 are under staffed and needed additional

lanes.

**

Speeches made by other hon. Members have already been included in the Synopsis (Main).

SHRI K. SUBBARAYAN : On NH – 544 there is a diversion from Bhavani via

Mettur Dam which connects the main highway at Thoppur. This reduces a distance of 25

kilometers compared to taking detour via Salem to reach Thoppur. Kindly initiate steps to

declare the Thoppur Mettur-Bhavani as the National Highway and make it wider. I

propose to erect elevated flyovers at the adjoining areas of the NH544, one flyover each

at Perundurai-Kacnhikoil-Kavundapadi Cross Section; Perundurai-Pethampalayam

Kavundapadi Cross Section; Perundurai-Thuduppathi Makkinakombai Cross Section;

and Kolathupalayam-Vijayamangalam Cross Section. Service roads on either side should

also be properly laid with traffic control solutions. 48 Toll Plazas on the National

Highways of Tamil Nadu are being run by large corporations in which about 10000

workers are employed. Several employees working continuously for more than 6 to 10

years were abruptly and illegally refused work. I request the Union Government to

intervene in the matter immediately and take necessary initiatives to settle all the labour

disputes amicably and also ensure that the workers are again employed in all these Toll

Plazas and legal rights are given to them.

SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: The allocation for the Ministry of Road

Transport and Highways has seen a 68% increase in the Union Budget 2023. The Union

Government is working on creating a star-rating system for vehicular safety in the

country. Existing safety standards in India are somewhat loose. To reduce road accident

in a time bound manner, there has to be taken a slew of measures. I would draw the

attention of the Minister towards the ban imposed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on

old petrol and diesel cars. Transport Experts have slammed this order. Please get this ban

lifted immediately. There is extremely slow progress of works to connect major ports.

Even though the initially targeted date of completion of Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase - I

was 2021-22, only 168 km of the port connectivity roads have been awarded while the

rest of the 2105 km are in various stages of DPR preparation. My considered view is that

lack of robust road connectivity to ports is one of the major bottlenecks faced by the

shipping sector in India. The Ministry should take a serious look at the various factors

impeding the award of these road projects and take urgent steps to iron out the same to

bolster the growth of the shipping sector in the country.

SHRI LAVU SRIKRISHNA DEVARAYALU: I welcome this year's Budget

allocation for Road and Highways Ministry. I thank Hon Minster for sanctioning

National Highway status to two stretches, Kondamodu-Perecherla and Dachepalli-

Macherla Road. My request is that Rs 403 cr allotted is utilized completely and the

project is executed within the timeline. Overall, the Ministry's increased allocation and

emphasis on higher capital expenditure underlines the Ministry's vision for building big

roadways projects. But we have seen gaps in implementation and timeline. World Bank's

Traffic Crash report noted that India the highest road deaths but allocation to Road Safety

has reduced by 12%. Ministry projected Special Grant for Vijayawada-Ranchi Road at

25 crores but only 2 crores allocated. Standing Committee noted that 888 projects worth

3.15 lakh crore or 27,665 kms are delayed. Of these 37 projects worth 10,000 crores or

kms are delayed in Andhra Pradesh. Government has announced monetization of kms of

roads to generate 30,000 kms. However, history of monetizing TOT Bundle 2 & 4

because of lack of interest from private sector bidders. Expenditure by private sector on

road infrastructure is only 20%. From 2015-16 to Jan 2021, NHAI has spent 4.6 lakh

crore but private sector spent only Rs 1.1 lakh crore. Development Finance Institution is

being set up and Government wants private investment of 2.8 lakh crores - does the

private sector have the confidence to invest? Land acquisition and high prices of steel

and cement are hurdles to fast implementation. Standing Committee has recommended

that revenue generated from highways be shared with people whose land is acquired. We

need to do a comprehensive study about the bottlenecks in each of these projects and find

the causes nationally. Projects Kudapa-Mydukur-Kurnool Highway, 6 laning of Nellore-

Cilikaluripet Highway, Tirupati -Tiruthani - Chennai Highway, Anatapur-Amaravati and

Vijayawada Bypass should be expedited.

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE : The present focus of the Ministry

seems to be only on the construction of new National Highways while the maintenance

and safety aspects of the existing NH network in the country seems to get sidelined. I,

therefore, request that Ministry/NHAI may put in efforts to ensure that routine M&R

activities are carried out on National Highways in a proactive manner. The budgetary

estimates points to the gross underutilization of the funds allocated in the previous budget

year. Hence, Ministry must increase its spending under Various heads. Roads are an

extremely important asset of our country, it is therefore necessary for the Ministry to

provide more accurate cost estimates. Delays in road projects results in skyrocketing cost

of building our highways. Therefore, I request that the Ministry/NHAI may review the

road project monitoring mechanism and strengthen the same. The Centre must chalk out

coordination plans to complete port connectivity projects on priority. The Government

must focus on road safety as top priority and ensure their connectivity round the year.

Importantly, highways and roads are especially unsafe for women. As such, it is

necessary for the Government to provide for the bare minimum of safety measures. such

as proper signages, streetlights, highway patrol at frequent distances, improvement of

mobile networks etc. I request the Government to make our highways safer, more secure,

and more accessible for our female travellers through a substantial increase in allocation

for women safety and their optimum utilization. The number of vacancies in all the

posts of the NHAI should be billed. The Sukhad Yatra Smartphone application usability

is increased so it's more accessible to the users of national highways. I request the

Ministry to take steps to improve the condition of the public transport system by

providing adequate budgetary support. This will not only decongest the roads but also

control the air pollution to a certain extent. As far as my Lok Sabha Constituency,

Baramati, is concerned there are certain issues to be resolved like widening of accident-

prone road as well as widening of bridges over Warje river, service road, Indrayani river

and all parts of national highways. The road from Navale Pool - Katraj - Wadaki Chowk -

Kavadipath - Theur Fata to Loni Kanda needs to be constructed to ease traffic jams on the

Fursungi- Bhekrai Nagar-Hadapsar route. However, funds should be provided for this

road; Hadapsar to Yavat route should be widen; flyovers at Uruli Kanchan and Loni

should be constructed; funds should be provided for widening of narrow road from

Saswad to Gotemala; A flyover should be constructed to ease traffic congestion at Pune

Satara Road; Funds should be provided for Mahad-Bhor-Pandharpur road immediately;

Mahad - Ranwadi - Karnavadi - Madheghat - Kelad - Pasli - Bhatti - Velhe - Ambavane -

Nasrapur- Cheladi Fata in Velha taluka should be included in the Central Road Fund

(CRF) scheme; Flying bridges should be constructed at Bhugaon, Pirangut, Ghotawade

Fata and Paud on the National Highway (NH-753) to Konkan in Mulshi taluka. The

Centre must ensure that funds are released to the State Governments on time and are

properly utilized.

SHRI VIJAYKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH : The NHAI‘s total

outstanding debt which stood at 24,188 crore in 2014-15 has increased to 3,38,570 crore

as on November, 2021 and it has raised funds through issuance of bonds. The

Government should explore ways and means to restrict borrowings by the NHAI. One of

the major concerns in our country is road accidents which is increasing day by day. The

Government should take strict steps like imposing heavy fines, forfeiting the licence of

the offenders , create awareness , improve counseling so as to check such accidents.

The Ministry has listed 4 big highway projects to be foreclosed and these include two

projects of 4 laning of the stretch from Tamil Nadu- Kerala border to Kanyakumari. I

urge the Government to have a discussion with the state for addressing this issue

speedily. As regards collection of toll tax, necessary directions should be issued by the

Government that collection of toll tax should be completely stopped after a certain

period of operation of toll roads. In case of land acquisition, adequate compensation

should be given to the land owners. India has no organized system of disposing of a car

or any motorized vehicles. Hence, the owners who are coming forward to dispose of their

old vehicles should be compensated adequately. In my Kanyakumari Constituency,

four laning of Kerala/Tamil Nadu border to Villukuri Section of NH-47, four laning of

Villukuri to Kanyakumari section of NH47 and Nagercoil to Kavalkinaru Section of

NH-47 B, construction of bridges/additional structures across tanks, water bodies etc. at

60 locations , elimination of black spot in km 12/6 13/0 (Thovalai Puthoorur) of NH 47

B, Tamil Nadu , strengthening and improvement of Kanniyakumari Cochi Salem NH-47

are some of the ongoing/long pending road projects . I request the Government to

allocate sufficient funds in order to expedite the early completion of the projects.

SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY : The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has

been allocated nearly Rs.68,000 crore more in 2022-23 than it had been given in 2021-22.

The NHAI would receive the highest allocation of around 67% of the Ministry's total

allocation in 2022-23, at Rs.1,34,015 crore. The Government intends to expand the

National Highways Network by 25000 kilometres in 2022-23, with a budget of Rs. 20000

crore set up for this purpose. The NHAI budget expenditure includes funding towards the

umbrella highway scheme, Bharatmala Pariyojana. The aim is to increase the number of

districts with NH linkages from 300 to 550. Over the course of five years, the Bharatmala

Pariyojana would create 34,800 km of roads in Phase I. Under the National Highway

Development Program, Phase I will also include 10,000 kilometres of balance roadwork.

Phase I is expected to cost Rs. 5,35,000 crore over the course of five years. In March

2014, 55% of India's habitations were connected to a road and now this has increased to

more than 91%. A total of 26,050 km of roads has been constructed under PM Gram

Sadak Yojna to boost rural connectivity, communication and logistics. The Union

Finance Minister has announced the National Ropeways Development Programme -

"Parvatmala". The aim is to improve commuter connectivity and convenience while also

encouraging tourism. Currently, the scheme is being implemented in Uttarakhand,

Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir and other North Eastern states.

Expansion of NHs, expressway projects, increasing the number of lanes under various

projects and development of road connectivity in left-wing extremism-affected areas are

all included in spending on roads and bridges. The voluntary Vehicle Scrappage Policy

launched by the Ministry was one of the significant actions implemented in 2021. In

2022-23, the Ministry has allocated Rs. 356 crore towards road transport and safety.

Besides, a number of initiatives were taken to improve the country's road safety situation,

including the launch of a reward scheme for good Samaritans and the formation of a

Road Safety Board. Through the "PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan", the Ministry

plans to showcase the investment opportunities in highways, transport and logistics

focusing on three central themes Bharatmala Pariyojana, Asset Monetization and Vehicle

Scrappage Policy. Tremendous progress has been achieved by the Ministry in building of

National Highways across the country in the last few years. Hence, I strongly support the

Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.

SHRI HASMUKHBHAI S. PATEL: I congratulate the Government for work

being done in Road Transport and Highways Sector. 1,99,108 crore have been allocated

from Union Budget to this sector which is the highest ever budget. 1,41,190 km

highways have been constructed as on date and now 37 km highway per day is being

constructed instead of 11 km per day. A master plan has been formulated for

constructing 25000 km of national highways in 2022-23. Unified Logistics Interface

Platform will be launched and the Government will come up with open source mobility

stack for hassle free journey of passengers. Four Multi-Model Logistics Parks would be

set up during 2022-23 under PPP model. I would like to raise certain important issues in

regard to development of my Parliamentary Constituency Ahmedabad East. The

Ahmedabad Indore National Highway No.59 is being extended upto Kunjar village. I

request the Government to provide service road for the village parallel to the highway to

mitigate the problems of rural people in going to and fro.

SHRI MITESH PATEL (BAKABHAI) : There is an overbridge built by the

railways at Samrakha intersection under Anand taluka in Anand, which is getting

damaged due to its old age. So, keeping in mind the possibility of danger, is should be

dismantled and a new over bridge should be build and designed in such a way so that the

problem of jam could be eased. In order to plan the gutter line and water pipeline in a

systematic way, it should be listed in the budget 2022-23 for providing grant.

SHRI V. K. SREEKANDAN: The work on the proposed Palakkad to Kozhikode

Greenfield Highway under Bharatmala Pariyojana which aims to reduce a travel distance

by 45 Kms be expedited. There is need to fulfil a long pending demand of the people

mostly tribals living in Atttapadi to declare the State from Mannarkad to Chinna

Thadagam via Attappadi as Sub Highway to National Highway No.966. India ranks first

in the number of road accident deaths across the 199 countries. One of the reasons cited

for the increased number of road accidents in the country is because of laying of road in

an unscientific way as well as not providing or taking adequate steps to prevent road

accidents. I urge upon the Hon‘ble Minister to set a target to reduce the number of road

accidents in the country.

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR S. : The allocation towards NHAI has been tripled

from 2019-20 to 2022-23. Expenditure on the NHAI includes funding towards The

Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme. Under phase l of the scheme 34,800 km of roads will be

developed over a period of five years (2017-18 to 2021-22) was the target. However only

35% of the approved project length has been completed. If the target of expanding the

NH network by 25,000 km, then the pace has to be increased to about 68 Km/day. As

regards investment in maintenance of roads, the ministry has allocated Rs 2,586 for the

which is 7% lesser than RE of 2021-22. The maintenance of the road should be given top

priority as its increases the lifespan but amount allocated for maintenance is just 1.3% of

the Ministry budget. The Standing Committee on Transport and The National Transport

Development Policy Committee has noted that the amount spent on maintenance of the

road is low. NITI Aayog has also suggested that 10% of the Ministry's annual budget

should be earmarked for maintenance. Investment on road safety is less than 0.2% of the

Ministry total budget for the year 2022-23. India ranks first in the number of road

accident deaths. Hence, I requested that there should be increased allocation of funds to

road safety.

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: There is a need to construct a National

Highway from NH-33 Jamshedpur, Asanbani Kalimandir (Pardih) to Bankura via

Patmada Katin, Bandwan, Jhilimili, Khatra and from Chaibasa to Bombay Chowki NH-6

in Orissa via Hata-Musabani-Dumaria-Asti-Gudabanda-Koima. With the conversion of

these roads into National Highway, a large tribal dominated neglected area which has

once been affected by militancy will be connected to the mainstream of the state and

there will be a massive increase in economic activity. To prevent the accident, there is a

need to construct over bridge at Kaliadinga Chowk in Behragoda, at Phuldangri NH-33 in

Ghatshila, and overbridge near Om Hotel Crossing in Behragoda respectively.

SHRI RATANSINH MAGANSINH RATHOD: The way roads are being

constructed under Bharatmala Project, it is reducing the travel distance to major cities by

road. Mumbai-Delhi Highway is being constructed under this project. If Godhra is made

entry and exit point on this highway, it will facilitate the people going to Udaipur,

Shrinathdwara (Rajasthan) and Ambaji Shakti Peeth from Godhra.

SHRI BHARATSINHJI SHANKARSINHJI DABHI: The way roads are being

constructed by this government at a fast pace, it is highly appreciated. Mumbai-Delhi

Highway is being constructed under this project. I urge upon the Hon. Minister of Road

Transport and Highways to make Godhra the entry and exit point on this highway which

will facilitate the people going to Udaipur, Shrinathdwara (Rajasthan) and Ambaji Shakti

Peeth from Godhra and the people of Central Gujarat and Southern Gujarat would also be

able to use this highway.

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR : Hon'ble Union Transport Minister has started

the repair work of all the highways of the country and some new high-speed highways

are also being built, I appreciate it, but the work of Mumbai Goa Six Lane National

Highway started in the year 2011, the work on this is running at very slowly pace that

even after the passage of about 11 years, it could not be completed till date, Accidents of

animals can be averted if a way is made for animals from under the highway near Karnala

Bird Sanctuary on the Mumbai-Goa highway. The culvert built on the Jagbudi river

located in Taluka Khed of Ratnagiri district is quite narrow. It should be expanded or

reconstructed. There is a sharp turn on the way from Jagbudi river to Bharat Pond, which

leads to accidents, if a straight path is made by breaking the hill in front, then the time

and accidents can be reduced. The 19 kilometer Kashedi tunnel to be built on district

Ratnagiri Taluka Khed should be completed soon. The work of Indapar to Jharap road of

144 km out of 355 km is incomplete, it should be completed immediately. The number of

accidents is increasing day by day on the western speedy highway Dindoshi Udanpu

Liya. Action should be taken on that. Goregaon, Aarey Check Naka, East Side Metro

work has been completed, therefore it has become necessary to build a service road on its

side, warden should be appointed to make Mumbai transport convenient. While updating

the licenses and licenses of the vehicles, the vehicles are not properly checked and due to

economic corruption also the vehicles are given fitness certificates and this results in

accidents on the road. The Minister should also pay attention in this regard. If some part

of the profit of vehicle insurance companies is taken by the Transport Department for

road measures scheme, then it will help in reducing accidents. Lok Adalat Courts should

be established and the number of Tribunal Courts should also be increased. It should be

made mandatory to install radium reflectors on all vehicles. There is a complete ban on

10 and 15 year old vehicles, it has become necessary for the old vehicle holders to get

new vehicles. Central excise duty should be waived off on new vehicles.

SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY: An access control highway from Bakarpur-

Sonpur to Dumariya Ghat is being constructed in Bihar. The government led by Hon.

Prime Minister is constructing roads for the benefit of the people. Earlier there was a

problem to cross Ganga River to reach the other places in the state. For this purpose JP

Bridge is being converted to six lane. There was demand for direct road from Patna to

Vaishali. For this purpose, a proposal is already approved, now there is a way to go there

through Sonpur, Darihara and Gandak. A new bridge is being constructed in Sherpur-

Dighwara with the cost of five thousand crore rupees. So far as travelling to Utter

Pradesh is concerned, Gajipur- Chapra highway has been sanctioned. Everyone is asking

for special status for the state but there is a need to form a policy and act upon it. Today,

road network has been laid in Northern Bihar. As per the policy decision, the state

government should be asked to declare right way 30 to 50 meter while constructing

national highways under Bharatmala project. The government is making investment

thousands of crore in just making DPRs. The DPR consultants never consult with public

representatives. They make wrong DPRs which is approved by the official of NHAI. For

this CRIF and CRF notification should be referred to. There are some defects in the

circular which are required to be removed for completion of the projects. There is a need

to complete the work on NH-19 on priority basis.

SHRI S. R. PARTHIBAN: In 2022-23, the Ministry of

Road Transport and Highways has been allocated nearly Rs. 68,000 crore more than the

revised expenditure in 2021-22. Bengaluru — Chennai Expressway: 278 km will be

initiated in the current financial year and

Chennai—Salem corridor: 277 km expressway

will be awarded, and construction would start in 2021-22.

The flagship 277 km Chennai Salem corridor is in pre-construction stage. I request the

Ministry to implement this project unless

otherwise the Tamil Nadu state govt approval and guidance.

Nine national highway projects costing 6,137 crore were "delayed for a very long time"

due to many reasons. But these projects were awarded to contractors in 2016, 2017 and

2018 and originally scheduled to be completed within two years. Villukuri to

Kanyakumari section of NH-47 and Nagercoil to Kavalkinaru sectionof NH-47B, four

laning of NH-47 from Kerala/Tamil Nadu border toVillukuri section, six laning of

Chennai-Tada section ofNH5, four laning of Chettikulam-Natham are yet to be

completed.

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: I thank the Government for safely

evacuating Indians stranded abroad under 'Operation Ganga'. The Government has set a

target of 12,000 thousand kilometers for expansion of National Highways. We have to

construct 70 kilometers of road every day to achieve this goal. According to the

Economic Survey (2021-22), 20.89 km of highways have been constructed every day. I

request the Government to provide information about the framework formulated to

achieve this goal in the next one year. The Finance Minister has also talked about

financing projects related to the infrastructure sector through Infrastructure Investment

Trust, Securitization and "Green Highways" and the National Highways Authority of

India (NHAI) has raised Rs 18,000 crore through Infrastructure Investment Trust. The

Government has called for bringing together 16 Ministries under the Pradhan Mantri-Gati

Shakti Programme which envisages construction of 100 cargo terminals to facilitate

speedy movement of people and goods. I welcome the National Ropeway Development

Programme under public-private partnership. I would like to know about the reforms that

have been made by the Government for increasing debt on the National Highways

Authority of India because it has gone up 14 times. A large number of people have died

due to road accidents on highways in the country. The Government will have to review

the identification of accident prone areas i.e., black spots on national highways, and the

safety audit process for this purpose so as to save the precious lives of the people. The

death rate due to road accidents in Maharashtra is 4 percent higher than the pre-COVID-

19 period in 2021. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 3,74,397 people

died due to road accidents in the year 2020 which is worrisome. The Government should

allocate certain funds out of the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) to the State

Governments for surveying road safety. My suggestion is that a Comprehensive Master

Plan be made whereby important tourist spots, cultural places, etc., are connected by road

and the CRIFs could be used for these purposes. The cost of projects started under

Bharatmala Project is increasing due to delay in construction works. The estimated cost

of Phase-I of Bharatmala project has increased from Rs 5.35 lakh crore to Rs 10.63 lakh

crore which is estimated to be double. There is a need to increase the allocation for

important works of repairing, maintaining and developing highways.

SHRI BENNY BEHANAN: Many of our esteemed Members expressed

apprehensions on the impact of privatisation of

Railways by the NDA Government. Today, the discussion is about National Highways.

Tomorrow we will discuss Shipping and Civil Aviation and Government is

implementing privatisation policies. The big ports,

airports and air services including Air India have been privatised. The hon. Minister

should take steps to save our roads for allocating a sizeable sum in the Budget for Gati

Shakti. We are dependent on road transport both for freight and

passenger movement. This shows the importance of increasing the road transport

infrastructure. The NHAI is now carrying out the widening work of NH66 to four-lanes

in Kerala. The Government of India has privatised the air traffic sector and privatization

in Railways is also progressing. Now, the only major traffic system remaining with the

Government is the road transport. I would suggest that the above project be provided with

all modern facilities and also make them capable of addressing the growing needs of the

next three decades. The most important part of the National Highway Development

Project is the North-South-East-West Corridor which connects Srinagar to Kanyakumari

and Silchar to Saurashtra. Another important project is Bharatmala Pariyojana. Setu

Bharatam is another ambitious programme which includes construction of bridges and

flyovers. Sir, in my parliamentary constituency, Chalakudy, work on an underpass started

ten years back. We had a number of discussions with the NHAI and the local

Government. I would humbly request the Government to either terminate the contractor

or expedite the work as early as possible. Due to uncontrolled vehicular growth, and

insufficient roads with poor conditions, the number of motor accidents has increased. Sir,

the Government may also consider developing alternate

transportation methods by using waterways and sea routes after providing

sufficient connectivity with existing road rail setup.

The alignment of Kochi-Madurai Highway was fixed some

30 years ago but the same could not be completed even after the lapse of three

decades. I would request the hon. Minister to take urgent steps to revise andfinalise the

alignment of the Kochi-Theni Greenfield bypass by incorporating the old acquired

portion of land for Thrippunithura bypass,including the portion from Mattakuzhi bridge

near Puthenkurish and thereby starting a bypass from Thiruvankulam area as early as

possible.

ENGINEER GUMAN SINGH DAMOR: Hon. Chairperson Sir, I stand in

support of the demands of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for Rs 1 lakh 99

thousand 108 lakh crore. Before 2014, the standards of our roads were below par as

compared to the international standard. Now the construction of our roads, in which

cemented subbase is formed, WM is formed in it, DPM is formed in it. Bituminous

concrete surface is made in it, due to which our roads are world class today. Talking

about the year 2004-05, the speed of road construction was 7 km per day. However,

today we are building 37 km of roads per day and in the coming time we have a target of

50 km per day. We are building village roads, Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana roads,

National Highways, State Highways, major district roads, due to which our connectivity

is becoming of an international standard. We have included Gatishakti Yojana in our

budget, which is made up of about 16 ministries. Safety is the most important factor in

road construction. We are minimizing the accidents that used to happen in the past. We

have a separate wing working for road safety by identifying black spots across the

country.

Hon. Chairperson Sir, the District Headquarters, Block Headquarters and Tehsil

Headquarters of my area should be connected with the Four Lanes compulsorily. The

roads which are being built under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojna at present are built

with a capacity of 15-20 tonnes. But now as per the traffic which is going on it, its

design should be changed to bring it up to 80 tonnes. Sir, along with this, I have some

demands, a Multi Model Logistic Park should be set up in Ratlam. In Bharatmala-2,

Ratlam to Jhabua has been included, Jhabua to Alirajpur should also be connected with 4-

Lane. Second, Ratlam and Indore Road should be connected with 4-Lane linking from

Petlawad to Badnawar. The construction work of National Highway from Baroda to

Khandwa should be started at the earliest. In Alirajpur, the District Headquarters of my

Lok Sabha constituency, a bypass must be made. A 4-lane road should be made to

connect Jhabua to Thandla, Kushalgarh and Banswara. Sir, my Lok Sabha constituency

is a tribal dominated area. The distance of each habitation from the main village is 10 to

15 kms and they are in areas of vast forest. Therefore, priority should be given for

construction of in-village roads. The part of National Highways- 47 from Pitol to

Machiliya, which has been damaged, should be repaired.

SHRI DULAL CHANDRA GOSWAMI: Hon'ble Chairperson, Sir, first of all, I

support the budget of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for the year 2022-23.

The Government of India has provided a huge sum of `1,99,000 crore to the Ministry of

Road Transport and Highways which is 52% more than the amount provided in the last

year‘s budget of 2021-22. In 2012-13, 11.6 kilometer National Highways used to be

constructed everyday, now 37 kilometer National Highways are constructed everyday.

Sir, through you, I would like to present some important demands related to my

constituency. The distance to Patna will be shortened by connecting Khagaria and

Purnia. Chiraiyaa is a place lying between Dalkola and Purnia. There was a bridge near

Chiraiyya which was damaged by the floods in 2017. I request you to get that bridge

constructed. If NH81 would be directly connected to Katihar, West Bengal‘s Raiganj,

Balurghat District and Bangladesh border, then it would be of great strategic importance.

It would also improve the security of the country and would enhance the opportunities in

the field of employment, industry and education.

DR. CHANDRA SEN JADON: Hon. Speaker Sir, I rise to speak in support of

the Budget for Road Transport and Highways. In my Lok Sabha constituency Firozabad,

the means of transport are non-existent. I expect the Minister to improve the condition of

all the roads in The Lok Sabha constituency of Firozabad. Overbridges have not yet been

constructed at RadheMod and Gunjan Resort. Bridges arenot built where needed and

have been built where there is no need. In my Lok Sabha Constituency, two tolls have

been created illegally on which the collection is taking place illegally.

SHRI JASBIR SINGH GILL: Sir, in my contingency, three highways are being

constructed from Katna-Delhi, Amritsar-Hoshiarpur and Beas via Dera Baba

Nanak,Batala. The biggest problem among them is the compensation. There is no

uniformity in it. Please give proper compensation to the people. Whenever a road is built,

the biggest damage is to the environment. So many trees are cut down in it. The forest

cover should be increased somewhere. At the toll booth, a pass of 25 return traffic is

made in a month in which 33 percent regular consumers get exemption from it. It should

be made a pass of at least 60 return traffic. Small links connect the road highway. Jammu

to Amritsar, Amritsar to Batinda-Jaipur new highways have been constructed. Another

highway comes from Pathankot to Jalandhar. If that road is connected to the cities from

Kandwan to Raya Nako, then our total cities will be de-congested and the distance will

also be reduced. In order to de-congest all the main highways, the alternate route, which

starts from Attariand comes to Delhi viaChabaan Kalan, Tarantal, Harike, Jira, needs to

be slightly strengthened and widened. Amritsar Khemkar Highway has been made but the

links in between are missing, it should be corrected. These roads should be widened and

strengthened.

SMT. GITABEN V. RATHVA: Mr. Chairman, Sir, in the Budget 2022-23,

Rs.1.99 lakh crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,

which is 68 per cent more than the previous Budget. About 68 km of national highways

will be constructed every day in the country. In my parliamentary constituency,

ifChhotaUdepur, NH-8 is connected from Ankleshwar to Narmada, Kevadia (Statue of

Unity),Tankhala, Kawat along with Tapola, Alirajpur, Kukshi, Saindhna, Manawar,

Bankar, Dharampuri in Madhya Pradesh to NH-3, Julwania, the people of Gujarat,

Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will get a lot of ease in commuting.

SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA: To promote PM Gatishakti by combining 7

factors-Road, Railway, Airport, Public Waterways etc., by improving the economy and

taking forward this work, 20000 crore rupees have been arranged for expansion of 25000

kms of Naitonal Highways network in the year 2022-23. 4.5 thousand crore rupees have

been kept for the projects. Everyday 36.6 kms of roads are being constructed everyday.

NH 927A from Swaroopganj to Rattam via Pangarpur, Banswara, Kherwara has been

sanctioned. 36 roads have been sanctioned in Pungarpur-Banswara under CRIF. The

way contracts are awarded to the contractors, they sublet it. Sublet it at low rates, i.e.

below 30 to 35% rates, the roads are being built. The road work is not done properly, and

they stop in between. The contractors may be properly bound for it, so that roads are

made properly, Mahi bridge comes amid National Highway 927A. It has been 60-70

years since it was made. Its width is less and width of highway is more, railing of the

culvert is broken on either. Two-three deaths have taken place. So many highways are

being built, these culverts may also be renovated, we have hybrid babool on both sides of

the road, so big are they that water flow stops and the drainage construction is also not

done properly.

DR. UMESH G. JADAV: India has the second largest road network globally, a

total of 58.9 Lakhs km. 90% of India‘s total passenger traffic employs a road network to

commute. 23 new National Highways covering the stretch of 34,800 km is proposed to be

constructed with the outlay of Rs. 5,35,000 crore. Despite lockdown in pandemic, India

constructed 13,298 km of highways in FY21, with a record of 37 km per day in March

2021. Roads are the arteries through which the economy pulsates. Road transport has

emerged as a dominant segment with a share of 4.8 per cent in India‘s GDP. Kalaburagi

city has outgrown beyond the existing ring road, the traffic on NH150E, NH-50 & NH-

150 is very high which results in heavy traffic congestion and poor riding quality. Hence

new bypass is required for safe, smooth and congestion free movement of traffic. The

final DPR of Rs. 1181.11 crore has been submitted and the same has been returned on

26.10.2018 for non-inclusion of this project in Annual plan. Allocation of Rs. 300 crores

towards LA cost is an immediate requirement. The surface of the NH‘s under the

parliamentary constituency is worn out at many places due to which the riding quality of

the vehicle is affected for which the departmental Engineers estimates are prepared and

submitted for approval.

SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA: Road transport and freight traffic is one of the

cheapest and convenient facilities. As per announcement, there has to be an expansion of

25,000 km of National Highways in 2022-23. There is a bigger need to identify accident

prone places known as black spots and to rectify them. Jaipur is the Capital of Rajasthan

and keeping that in view the roads in Jaipur and other cities of Rajasthan need to be made

world-class soon. I would like to draw the attention towards the problems of Jaipur

Parliamentary Constituency and would like following demands to be given serious

consideration for implementation. Construction of Nidar More Flyover, Harmara

Flyover, Benar Bore Flyover/ R.U.B., Tara Nagar-Ganesh Mandir- Pratap Nagar R.U.B.,

Ajmer-Sikar Under Pass and Flyover, upgradation of Under Pass at Dadi ka Phatak from

two lanes to four lanes .Construction of Under Pass at Nari Ka Phatak on Jaipur-Ajmer

Road No. 48, Flyover between Balaji and Thikaria, Under Pass/Flyover at 200 feet Bye

Pass Crossing Ajmer Road, over Bridge or R.U.B. between Durgapur-Sanganer at

Kalyanpur Phatak. Double lines of rail under Pass No. 74 at Jaipur-Diggi Malpur Road.

R.O.B./R.U.B. at C.B.I. Phatak Jagatpura, R.O.B./R.U.B. in Jagatpura shooting range,

elevated road from Sitapura R.O.B. to Vatika Road. A flyover at originating point at

Chaksu Bypass on Japur-Tonk National Highway in Chaksu city. R.O.B. and R.U.B.

between Chaksu Fagi on Kota-Sawai Madhopur rail line. Moreover, Jaipur Diggi

Malpura Highway should be declared National Highway. Construction of a service road

from 200 feet Bye Pass to Bagru at Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway No. 48, a Flyover at

B-2 crossing- Tonk Road, a Flyover on OTC crossing, Jal Marg, a Flyover at Rambagh

crossing, an elevated road at Raja Park-Govind Marg-Transport Nagar, an under Pass at

Gandhi Nagar Railway Station upto Bajaj Nagar and Tonk Road.

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA: Road transport handles bulk of countrywide

passenger and freight traffic in India. India has the second largest road network in the

world of about 63.72 lakh kilometers. National highways account for 2% of the total road

network and carry over 40% of total traffic. In FY 21, 13,298 kms of highway was

constructed across India. Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) is considered to be the lifeline of

North and Middle Andaman as the road connects North and Middle Andaman with Port

Blair city and presently NHIDCL has got the contract of making ATR into double lane

and construction of two mega bridges, on Middle and Humphrey Straits of ATR. Strong

transport infrastructure is essential to economic growth. I would want to bring forth

some demands regarding Andaman and Nicobar Parliamentary Constituency. 56 km of

NH between Austin Creek and Kalra Junction work needs to speed up. Middle Strait

Creek Bridge for Rs. 262.97 crore was also sanctioned in 2017. This bridge should be

completed at the earliest. Construction of Alternate Highway along coastal line.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands has immense tourism potential. An alternate coastal

highway between Blair and Diglipur will further development of Andaman and Nicobar

Islands. Miniway to Mithakali Bridge: I request to approve of a Bridge between

Miniway to Mithakali in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for promoting tourism and

connectivity. Chatham Bambooflat Bridge: DPR is being prepared for a bridge worth Rs.

2000 crore to connect Chatham island and Bambooflat island. I request the Government

to speed up the construction of this bridge between Chatham and Bambooflat which has

been delayed.

ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE: Sir, as regards our Central Road Infrastructure

Fund, we are following the criterion of 30 per cent from fuel consumption and 70 per

cent from geographical specification. As a small State Kerala, our geographical

specification may be lesser than that of any other State. So, it should be revised. Sir, in

my Constituency Idukki, there are several roads under construction. I demand further

allocation under CRIF with revised criterion. I am thankful to the hon. Minister for

Bharatmala Project of NH-85, from Kochi to Theni. The existing national highways

connected with all the towns like Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Adimali and Munnar

should be developed. There is a demand for a bypass project from Muvattupuzha and

Kothamangalam. But this demand has not been fulfilled for the last 30 years. I demand

that the existing NH-85, from Kochi to Dhanushkodi should be developed two-lane. I

have another demand about NH-183 and NH-185. Then, there is the Palani-Sabrimala

project. I demand a final sanction of the Palani-Sabrimala project and Vijayapuram-

Mudgal project .

SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA: The fundamental of any country is its

infrastructure. The focus has been on infrastructure after this government came to

power. Infusion of huge capital expenditure for PM Gatishakti out of total Budget is a

welcome step. This time, a provision of Rs. 64,573 crores for roads and bridges has been

made for National Highways of India in the Budget. A provision of Rs. 356 crores for

road transport and security is made in the Budget. This is 128 crores more than last years

revised estimate of 228 crores. I would like to request that in Pratapgarh constituency the

same very important roads like NH231 from Mohanganj Beazaer to Badaa Ka Purma,

Tibri via Belkhari to Katra Gulab Singh be constructed at a distance of about 30 kms

which would be an alternate of byepass of Soraanv Holagarh to Prayagraj via Pratapgarh

to Katra Gulab Singh. It is requested to sanction out of CRIF about 16 kms from Sarai

Anadev to Jagdishpur Sabji Mundi via Laxmiganj Baazaar, and declare Prayagraj to

Phakwa to Surapur Shahganj via Delhupur to Azamgarh road as National Highways and

to promte and arrange barricade by providing a service lane of NH on that for checking

the accidents of animals by speeding vehicles on NH 231 Varanasi-Lucknow from

Raibarelli to Jaunpur. An ROB construction be made on Kusmi railway crossing on NH

330 Prayagraj-Ayodhay and I also demand an ROB on railway crossing at Neema Halt

station near Phakwae on route Phakwa.

SHRIMATI APARUPA PODDAR: The Government has sanctioned an

Expressway between Varanasi and Kolkata under the Bharatmala Project Phase-II, and it

will pass through my Parliamentary Constituency, Arambagh. I request the Minister to

ensure that this work is completed in a time-bound manner. A large number of National

Highways across the country have dangerous potholes and they need to be maintained in

a better state. I would suggest a mandatory clause for the contractors while constructing a

highway so that there should be proper signs and directions containing information about

the nearby police station, hospital, and trauma care centre. I request the Ministry to have

a comprehensive review of the existing Recruitment Rules of NHAI, and the same may

be finalized at the earliest. Further, sincere efforts may be made to ensure that all the

vacancies presently lying unfilled in NHAI are filled up at the earliest. The Ministry

should request the Reserve Bank of India to grant ‗priority sector‘ tag to the road

infrastructure sector in order to encourage financial institutions and banks to lend higher

amounts of money to supplement maintenance and growth of the national highway

network in the country. The Ministry should reach out to the private sector with a

proposal to invest their CSR fund into road safety initiatives. This will save many lives

across the country.

SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE: The conditions of the roads in my State

Maharashtra is not good and the Express Highways announced by the Central

Government in Maharashtra are not progressing well. The Ministry should monitor to

check the material used for construction so that they are not washed away. For

construction and monitoring the work, I suggest digitalization in every field i.e.

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, Testing Vehicle Tracking, Lab Automation

and Monitoring through Drone/360 degree camera etc. Ministry should think over to

undertake these works under P.P.P. model. I have seen that the old age vehicles are in

operation in the country. Strict rules should be regulated for fitness of the vehicles. We

should take initiative in introducing the new technologies of ―solar roads‖ that collect

energy from the Sun via solar panels installed beneath the surface of roads and ―power

generating floors‖ that generate electricity by utilizing the vibration created by people

walking. There is a great difficulty which is being faced by the commuters on the Toll

Plazas. The long queues of the vehicles are found everywhere. There is a need to install

high range sensitive cameras at toll plazas to make the system fast. Road safety of

Highways and its maintenance is a big challenge to the Ministry of Road Transport and

Highways. A portal namely, www.voiceofcitizen.in has been developed which can be a

strong instrument to get on-hand information by the Government of the conditions of

roads and other problems.

SHRI DEVENDRA SINGH 'BHOLE': The problem of traffic jam arises now

and then on National Highway 86, Kanpur Sagar Marg in Ghatampur Legislative

Assembly constituency falling under my parliamentary constituency. On the demand

made by me and on the directions of the Hon'ble Minister, the departmental officers

prepared the estimates and the foundation stone at that place was laid by me on

01.03.2019. But the work has not started till now. Due to high density of population in

the industrial town of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, there is a great need to take up the work

of connecting G.T. road and NH-2 at the earliest. The road connecting District Mainpuri

to Etawah, Etawah to Auraiya, Auraiya to Kanpur Dehat to Nehar Road upto Kanchausi

Bazar, Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh, has already been covered under 'Pradhan Mantri

Sadak Yojana' and the distance between Agra and Mainpuri can be reduced by 50

kilometres by extending it by just 50 kms and linking it to NH-2 . The image of the

Government is being tarnished due to illegal collection, hooliganism and lack of facilities

at Bara toll plaza on Etawah-Chakeri. In this regard, I would like to specifically mention

the irregularities in Bara Toll Plaza, Kanpur Dehat. The UPA government had awarded

that toll plaza in a wrong way. An inquiry was conducted by the government through

NITI Aayog. I would like to request the Hon'ble Minister to call for the Report of NITI

Aayog and see it. If the NITI Aayog has supported our point, our people should not bear

the consequences of the irregularities happening in Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat and our

Lok Sabha constituency and the punishment of the corrupt policies of the UPA. The 24

km elevated road in Kanpur Nagar has been damaged for eight consecutive months.

Money is being collected from the people there. Keeping all these things in mind, I would

like to request that justice should be done with all of us.

SHRI TALARI RANGAIAH: I would like to take this opportunity to thank the

Hon‘ble Minister for laying the foundation stones for 51 NH projects. Road connectivity

in the coastal area will boost tourism, create employment opportunities for urban and

rural youth. I would like to bring to the notice of this august house the following issues

with regard to my constituency. One important road from Mantralaya, Kurnool (Andhra

Pradesh) to Pavaggadda via Paltikonda, Guntakal, Kalyandurg, Kambadur can be

connected to famous temples. Another Road from Gooty (Anantapur) to Manvi via

Mantralayam, Raichur (Karnataka) is also required to be constructed. 544D is one of the

very crucial road also needs to be constructed.

SHRI MANISH TEWARI: Hon‘ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways

laid a foundation stone of Banga ShriAnandpur Shahib road which goes further up to

Naina Devi. Even after the lapse of 37 months, no headway has so far been made in the

execution of this project which involves an outlay of Rs. 581 crore. Hence, the hon.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways is requested to expedite the completion of the

project. My second request pertains to the PRI-GMADA Expressway which was

approved as a Greenfield Project near Chandigarh International Airport. The hon.

Minister is requested to issue directives to the National Highways Authority of India to

complete the project. Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula are called tricity. These cities

altogether have the potential to emerge as an innovation hub. Moreover, they have the

capability to usher in fourth industrial revolution with respect to artificial intelligence,

analytics, robotics and genomics. So, a Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) is

required to be developed there which should pass from Ambala to Kurali and from

Mohali to Panchkula and cover Chandigarh as well. Besides, I would like to request that

the NHAI should conduct a study of the alignment of the flyover to be built near Khooni

Chowk.

SUSHRI SUNITA DUGGAL: There were four black spots on NH-9 in district

Fatehabad in my constituency. Now, underpasses are being constructed at all these four

locations at a fast pace. I thank the Government for that. Haspur Chowk in district

Fatehabad on NH-9 is an accident prone spot. I request the Government to declare it a

black spot and construct a bridge. Work on National Highway from Dabwali to Panipat

via Kalanwali, Rodi, Ratia and Bhuna should be accelerated. The Government had

declared a National Highway from Sirsa to Churu via Nohar, Sawa and Taranagar. This

work should start soon. A National Highway from Sirsa should be constructed via

Elanabad and Tibbi. The work on NH-1 Grand Trunk Road should be done on a faster

pace. Work on the road from Chandigarh to Delhi is going on for the last 12-15 years.

This work should be completed soon.

SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE: Construction of only 14 km is

pending on National Highway no. 361 on Pangaon to Kharola Pati stretch. Due to road

condition, the traffic on this stretch of national highway is being hampered. It is requested

that this stretch may be constructed on priority basis. Ambajogai-Murud-Jagji-Yevati-

Samudravani-Lohara-Ashtamod- Atnur should be given the status of National Highway

and the facilities in accordance with National Highway may be provided at the earliest so

that Ambajogai-Akkalkot-Ghangapur may be connected by the nearest route. The

proposal to declare the stretch of National Highway No. 50 Togari-Devani-Shirur

Anantpal-Arimod (72 km) as a sublink of National Highway No. 50 may please be

approved at the earliest. The proposal to give Nilanga-Lamjana (NH 548 B) stretch of

National Highway No. 752K, the status of National Highway is still pending. This may

kindly be approved at the earliest. The remaining length connecting Turori - Kasarashirsi

– Nilanga NH-65 to NH-63 should be declared as sublink of NH-65. As announced on

25.11.2021, approval should be given for construction of four lane cement concrete road

from Garud Chowk to Sai Naka (4 km). Four-laning of National Highway No. 63 Murud

city (5 km) should be done. These demands of Latur parliamentary constituency are

pending for a long time. It is, therefore, requested that sufficient allocation may be made

in the budget so that all these pending works are completed in a time bound manner.

SHRI SHRINIWAS DADASAHEB PATIL: The construction of bridge over

the Kera river at Patan Tehsil and over the Krishna river adjoining Karad city may be

expedited. The traders and artisans residing within the radius of 20 kilometer from toll

plaza needs to be equipped with Monthly pass at affordable price. The design of NH

roads and drainage bearing contiguity to them needs to be reinforced and sufficiently

upgraded. It would be better to provide big lights and toilet facilities along national

Highways. The quality of roads is severely affected due to subletting practice in place.

SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA: I would like to thank Hon. Minister for doubling the

total length of highways in Karnataka in seven years. There are 36 projects which are at

the DPR stage at an estimated cost of Rs. 48,437 crore. This shows the scale, size and

speed of our Government and it shows the efficiency of our hon. Minister. Hon. Minister

has given the approval for the construction of a four-lane highway between Mysuru and

Kushalnagar at an estimated cost of Rs. 4000 crore. I request the hon. Minister to speed

up the process and allow to open the technical bid. The stretch between Hassan and

Maranahalli is about 45 Kms. It is a concrete road which was approved in the year 2016.

There is no sign of getting it completed in the near future. So, the hon. Minister should

personally look into that matter. National Highway 212 connects Mysuru to Kozhikode

in Kerala. The NHAI has already taken over the control but the cost escalation is around

Rs. 200 crore which is not yet cleared. That needs to be addressed.

SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI: Under the able leadership of the hon.

Prime Minister, the Government has created a network of roads in the country. In order to

connect the entire country through roads, the Government is formulating PM Gati Shakti

Master Plan in the year 2022-23 so that there can be faster movement of people as well as

goods. In addition, the Government is implementing the National Ropeway Development

Program in PPP mode with the objective of promoting tourism. A budget of Rs 100 crore

has been allocated under the CRIF scheme to build roads in my Lok Sabha constituency.

However, I would like to request the Government that in my Lok Sabha constituency,

SalasarKhatuShyam Ji is a place of religious importance where crores of people come for

darshan throughout the year. Therefore, the road from Rigel to KhatuShyam Ji and from

Madha Mode to KhatuShyam Ji should be made a four-lane road. Also, the National

Highway from Kotputli to Nagaur via Neemkathana should be made a four-lane road at

the earliest.

SHRI BHOLA SINGH: I would like to thank hon. Ministerfor construction of

concrete road of NH-235 from my parliamentary constituency Bulandshahr to Meerut in

a very short span of time. At the same time, I want to put forward my two-three subjects

which are pending. There was a demand for construction of55-km road from Bulandshahr

to Dibai, which connects the Aligarh-Badayun highway. A survey of Bulandshahr-

Sianagarhroad connecting Delhi-Moradabad highway was carried out. There is a great

need in our area to connect Bulandshahr to Jarora, Bulandshahr to Anupshahar and

Bulandshahr to Siana., There is a huge jam insideBulandshahr, for that a ring road is

required. It would be good if the ring road is approved. On NH-235, Bulandshahr to

Meerut, a village Jainpuris situated just on the outskirts ofBulandshahr. This village is

situated on both sides of the road. The school is on the other side, the temple is on the

other side. Children are uncomfortable in commuting. I request to build an overbridge

there.If the road from Bulandshahar to Jewar via Kakod, is widened then the journey on

this route would be convenient for the people. On NH-91, which goes from Ghaziabad-

Lalkuan to Bulandshahr, Dadri toll to Aligarh toll, some potholes came up during the

rainy season. The patches put in place on those potholes are higher than the road.Those

patchescause delayin travelling and also cause accidents.It should also be ordered to be

fixed at the earliest.

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK : This Government is doing its best to

give the country better roads and highways. It has set a target to increase the length of

National Highways to two lakh kms by the year 2025 under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

My Lok Sabha constituency Raichur comprises Yadgir district which is placed in the

Aspirational district list. Many sub divisions of National Highways are established in

Kalburgi, Bijapur and Hospet. I would like to make a special request to set up a division

in Raichur itself. The projects like NH 167 and NH 150 have been completed and people

of the region are getting the benefits of the connected roads and highways. Please give

priority for the construction NH 50 A connecting Jewargi- Shrirangapatna- Sindhnur-

Lingsur-Maski, Belagaum- Hyderabad- Raichur, and construction of Attigudu- Tinthini

Bridge under NH 150A. Construction of bypass road in Yadgir city and other CRF roads

should be given top priority to facilitate the people of Aspirational districts. I once again

request to allocate adequate funds for the overall development of my region.

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA: Today, an ambience of peace and progress permeates

particularly in the North-East. The reason behind it is the vision of the hon. Prime

Minister for the infrastructure development of the North-East. The contribution in terms

of road communication and transportation made during the last seven years was not

witnessed during the 70 years rule of the Congress Party. During the 7 years all the

States of the North-East have been connected with National Highways. Kuruva Narangi

Bridge is to be constructed across the Brahmputra river in my constituency for which

work related to DPR is going on. I would like to submit that construction of this bridge

be started urgently by preparing the DPR at earliest. NH-15 is of two lanes up to 182 kms

from Byhata Chariyali to Jamugurihut, if it is converted into 4 lanes, we would have

connectivity across the entire Arunachal Pradesh and up to China. Railway over bridge

has been made at Goreshwar-Majbaat-Udalguri. A foot over bridge should be

constructed over there. East-West corridor work is pending at Dima Hasao sector on a 35

km stretch which should be got completed.

** ** ** **

Utpal Kumar Singh

Secretary General

**Second Supplement covering rest of the proceedings is being issued separately.

© 2022 BY LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT

NOTE: It is the verbatim Debate of the Lok Sabha and not the Synopsis that should be

considered authoritative.

English and Hindi versions of Synopses of Lok Sabha Debates are also available at

http://loksabha.nic.in.

Not for Publication

For Members only

LOK SABHA

___

SECOND SUPPLEMENT TO SYNOPSIS OF DEBATES

(Proceedings other than Questions & Answers)

______

Monday, March 21, 2022 / Phalguna 30, 1943 (Saka)

______

THE UNION BUDGET-2022-23

DEMANDS FOR GRANTS

MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS - CONTD. **

** ** **

SHRI DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RATHOD: The Central Government

develops and maintains NHs through the NHAI. In 2022-23, NHAI has been allocated

Rs. 1,34,015 crore, which is 106% more than the revised estimate of 2020-21. In 2022-

23, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been allocated nearly Rs. 68,000

crore more than the revised expenditure in 2021-22. After many years, NHAI will not

have any borrowings, and rely entirely on budgetary resources. In the budget, the finance

minister has come up with new plans: PM Gati Shakti Master Plan for Expressways, The

National Highways network, Rs. 20,000 crore will be mobilize through innovative ways

of financing to complement public resources. In my Sabarkantha loksabha, ministry has

announced the road conversion from four lane into six lane from Chiloda (Gandhinagar)

to Shamiaji. I request the ministry for the fast process of the road construction and do

needful for the same.

SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT: Extending my support to the Demands for

Grants of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, I would like to state that the

Ministry has achieved the milestone of 37 km of road construction per day under the

National Highways construction in the year 2021. For the financial year 2022-23, a

target of 25 thousand km expansion has been fixed in the network of national highways.

As per the announcement made in the Union Budget, the PM Gatishakti Master Plan for

**

Speeches made by other hon. Members have already been included in the Synopsis (Main).

National Highways will be prepared in the year 2022-23 itself. Eight ropeway projects of

60 km length will also be implemented in 2022-23 which will benefit North East,

Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. The world's fifth longest and India's

largest project, the Golden Quadrilateral Highway, is being constructed by the Ministry

which has a total length of 5846 km, which includes the construction of four and six lane

express highways, connecting Mumbai to Delhi in its final phase. The implementation of

this project will benefit the state of Gujarat and my parliamentary constituency

Vadodara. The project will provide rapid transport network between major cities and

ports. This road project will also provide connectivity to agricultural, industrial and

cultural centers. An over bridge is being constructed at village Dumad Junction in my

parliamentary constituency Vadodara,. For which I express my heartfelt thanks to the

hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Hon'ble Union Minister Shri Nitin

Gadkari ji. People of Dena village near my parliamentary constituency Vadodara had to

face a lot of problem in crossing the National Highway to come to Vadodara city and

many accidents have also happened there. I express my heartfelt thanks to the Hon'ble

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Hon'ble Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari ji

for approving the proposal for construction of Dena-Chhani underpass and to the

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for development and expansion of

infrastructure. I fully support the allocated grant.

SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIYA: Keeping in view of increasing of road

transportation between cities, towns and villages Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra

Modi‘s Bharatmala Pariyojana a umbrella program for the highways sector under state-

run National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport

and Highways focusing of optimizing the efficiency of road traffic movement across the

country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps. It is known that the project would be

covering a whopping 34800 km of the road would be completed in a phased manner. The

roads built under India‘s ambitious Bharatmala programme will increase vehicle-

travelling speed by around 2025%, thereby helping reduce logistics costs, in turn would

help reduce India‘s supply chain cost to 6% from the present levels of and reducing

vehicular accidents and deaths to minimal. Apart the above people of Saurashtra region

are thankful for getting completed of 4-laning of projects comprising about 620 km

length of coastal highway with cost of Rs. 7,950 crore and at present ongoing

construction works of projects comprising length of 520 km with cost of Rs. 8,036 crore.

The physical progress of these works is varying from 3.5% to 92.19%. These works are

targeted for completion by 2022-23.

SHRI P. R. NATARAJAN : I demand that Karur to Coimbatore Greenfield

Highway and Ring Road Connecting Ettimadai to Narasimhanaickenpalayam via

Arisipalayam, Kalangal, Kunnatnur etc. request proposal should be dropped. The

Existing highway (Erstwhile NH-67) can be expanded to a six-lane highway. The

proposed greenfield alignment between the two cities is unnecessary. Further, none of the

townships along the existing highway (KSN Puram, Palladam, Pongalur,

Avinashipalayam, Kangeyam, Vellakoil, Thennilai and Paramathi) is connected by the

proposed greenfield alignment. The greenfield proposal does not provide connectivity for

the townships along the existing highway. Further, the proposed greenfield alignment is

planned across the PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project command area) canal irrigated

area which will be a major agricultural disaster. Sound Traffic management calls for

Traffic to be dispersed and not aggregated on one alignment. The trafic will be dispersed

by improving the existing arterial roads connecting Mettupalayam Road and

Sathyamangalam Road (there are over 14 arterial roads), Sathyamangalam and Avinashi

Roaad (there are 5 arterial roads) and Avinashi Road and Trichy Road (there are 3 arterial

roads). The proposed linking of the RING ROAD with the proposed WESTERN

BYPASS at Narasimhanaickenpalayam will be disastrous as MAN- ANIMAL Conflict

will increase. Also, the area covered by the proposed Western By-pass is an

environmentally sensitive area with large scale violations being reported frequently. The

WESTERN BYPASS should be realigned and the alignment should be away from the

Hills. Ndiaiausuaiisaiesaab The Ring Road that is being proposed will not serve the

purpose of Traffic Decongestion and hence should be dropped. The existing Karur to

Coimbatore Highway can be widened and the Greenfield Alignment scrapped.

DR. BHARTIBEN D. SHYAL: The work of expansion and renewal of

National Highways in the last eight years is historic, and for this I thank and congratulate

hon. Prime Minister Narendra Bhai Modi ji and Shri Nitin Gadkari ji. It is commendable

that the target of making 25 thousand km road has been fixed for the year 2022-23. The

work of Bhavnagar-Somnath road in my parliamentary constituency is going on for many

years, but it has not been completed. The movement of passengers and other goods

vehicles is becoming difficult. The construction of bridges on Bhavnagar-Somnath and

Bhavnagar-Ahmedabad routes is still pending and toll collection has also begun

here. The work should be completed there at the earliest. The Bhavnagar- Rajkot

highway passes through the middle of the city, there is a railway crossing on this route

near the city, the closure of which leads to heavy traffic jam. Situation gets worsened,

when there is a delay in passage of an emergency vehicle to hospital and school. This

causes a lot of trouble to the general public, so approval should be given to build a bypass

on this national highway outside Sihor city and upgrade the Bhavnagar-Rajkot state

highway into a national highway.

*SHRI K. NAVAS KANI: Roads and Highways are very much essential for the

development of every area, every State and the Country at large. At the same time while

planning the road projects, necessary care should be taken to ensure that such plans do

not affect the habitats or the livelihood of the general public. Roads are for the

development of an area. Last year the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was

allocated Rs. 135000 crore. This year it has increased to Rs. 2 lakh crore which is Rs.

65000 more than the last year. But there is no clarity as to which are the new schemes to

be started and which are the existing schemes waiting for revival through this allocation

of funds. There is no detailing about the completion of number of Highway projects with

the funds allocated during last year. Under the Bharatmala Road Scheme, this

Government had allocated Rs. 5 lakh crore approximately for construction of 34500 kms

of road. But roads have been constructed to a length of only 69. kms as on date.

Additional funds should be allocated for Tamil Nadu for early completion of such

pending projects. I wish to bring to your notice that out of the total allocation of Rs. 2

lakh crore, only Rs. 396 crore has been allocated for road safety. On one side an

additional Rs. 65000 crore has been allocated by this Government for Road Transport and

Highway sector, whereas only a meager Rs. 386 crore has only been allocated for road

safety. Non availability of basic amenities in area has led to backwardness with no

industrial and economic development. I want to ask about the status of implementation

of Karaikkudi-Ramanathapuram Exptension project. I urge that needful be done for

speedy execution of Karaikkudi-Ramanathapuram Extension Project. Necessary road

infrastructure has not been set up in Ramanathapuram district as regards National

Highways. I urge that such an infrastructure should be set up soon. Inadequate lighting

facilities along the National Highways have become a reason for accidents taking place in

these Highways. I urge that more funds under CRF should be allocated for

Ramanathapuram district. I urge upon you that to avoid vehicular congestion at times of

maintenance work in National Highways, alternative routes should be arranged for easing

the vehicular traffic. Thank you.

SHRI JARANDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL : Extending my support to the

Demands for Grants for the financial year 2022-23 related to the Ministry of Road

Transport and National Highways, I would like to put forth my demand that the following

works be done by the Ministry of Road Transport and National Highways in my

parliamentary constituency Maharajganj, Bihar. The construction of over bridge on

* Original in Tamil.

Ekma-Amdarhi Railway Dhala of National Highway-531 (Old NH-85) passing through

my parliamentary constituency is pending for a long time. It should be completed at the

earliest. In addition to it, lights should be installed along the roadside of National

Highway, at Kopa, Daudpur, Ekma and Rasulpur, completing the work which has been

left in the mid. The quality of construction of the above mentioned National Highway is

poor, as a result of which the road has already begun to wear out. Therefore, quality of

work on NH-531 should also be checked. The road from Tajpur in Saran district of my

parliamentary constituency to Mashrak via Dumaigarh and Ekma should be upgraded as

National Highway. Under the Siwan district of my parliamentary constituency, the route

of Shri Ramjanki National Highway No-227A should be diverted through Karanpura

Bazar and Afrad Bazar, as per the old survey by making it pass through the isolated area

500 meters south of SH-73. The road going from Taraiya Bazar to Sattarghat via

Panapur, Ambedkar Chowk, Lakhanpur under Saran district of my Parliamentary

Constituency should be upgraded as National Highway so as to facilitate the movement

of the people of my Parliamentary Constituency at important commercial urban places.

SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI : While participating in the discussion on Demands

for Grants (2022-23) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways I would like to put

forth my demand that the Government should provide more fund allocation to Tamil

Nadu. The National Highways network will be expanded by 25,000 kms in 2022- 23. I

expect that Tamil Nadu would be a beneficiary of this expansion by undertaking more

projects in the State. The National Highway No. 77 under National Highway

Development Programme Phase-3 is running behind the schedule. The laying of double

lines between Tindivanam and Krishnagiri Section is required to be given top priority so

as to facilitate better access to the temple city of Tiruvannamalai. It will be more

beneficial if the Electric Vehicles charging stations are set up at close intervals i.e. 20-30

kms. on the National Highways to enable speedy and continued movement of E-Vehicles.

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA: The Ministry of Road Transport and

Highways has given priority to construction of all weather roads and tunnels in Jammu-

Kashmir keeping in mind its natural beauty which captivates the people from the country

and abroad. The length of National Highway was merely 1695 km in 2014 which has

increased four times in 2021. The construction of roads and tunnels would not only make

journey to Kashmir easy but also resolve problems of local people. The tourist places,

border areas, tribal and backward areas are being connected. Roads, railways and ports

connectivity have been enhanced and it would boost social economic development and

generate employment opportunities. The completion of national highway from Jammu to

Akhnoor and Akhnoor to Poonch would save fuel and time. The construction of many

roads and bridges were started under CRF but now the work is going at a slow pace due

to paucity of funds, therefore, I request you to provide funds to expedite the said work.

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH : We are grateful to the Government for giving

approval in principle to Daltonganj 39 national highway which will pass through Manatu,

Raniganj, Imamganj and Sherghati and will cover stretches of 72 km of Jharkhand and 58

km of Bihar and also for announcing nearly 75 km of green Expressway from Chandauli

to Varanasi which will pass through Chatra district. Further, approval in principle has

been given to over 11 roads which are from Ratu to Thakur village, Bagra to Laisliganj,

Dubiakhand to Chhattisgarh, Jaspur to Mahuadand, Chatra to Choparan, Panki to

Balumath, Jorikala to Pratapur, Hunterganj to Sultana. Besides, the Government has

sanctioned construction of Chatra bypass and Latehar bypass. It will promote our culture

and prosperity in the future.

SHRI RAKESH SINGH : The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has set

new records since the current Union Government has come to power. Late Atalji has

aligned the country by initiating Golden Quadrilateral project but after Modiji's

Government came to power, the golden age of road transport and highways began .

Today, road construction is at a record level of about 37 kilometres per day, in just seven

years, the length of Highways has increased by 50 per cent and budget expenditure has

grown more than 5 times. The Highway passing through dense forests from Seoni to

Nagpur has been built as a flyover. The budget of the Ministry increased from 1.18

trillion to 1,99 trillion. The creation of infrastructure has been given the highest priority

in all socio-economic zones. After Bharatmala and Sagarmala programme of the Ministry

of Road Transport and Highways, now the Parvatmala programme will benefit the states

of north-east, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. Madhya Pradesh's largest

112 km. Ring Road to be constructed around Jabalpur is included in Bharatmala project.

The route from Jabalpur to Bilaspur via Kundam-Shahpura-Dindori-Kabir Chabutra,

Amarkantak has been declared as National Highway. Construction of flyover in Jabalpur,

converting 12.20 km road from YMCA trijunction to Saliwara on Barela Road into four

lanes and a number of works of road development have been sanctioned.

DR. THOL THIRUMAAVALAVAN: Road transport and Highways

infrastructure play an important role in the development of our country but these projects

are getting delayed in South India. Three important pending projects of Tamil Nadu

should be expedited soon. Toll plazas situated within the radius of 10 kms in the

Municipalities and Municipal Corporation limits in Tamil Nadu should be closed.

Assent of the farmers and land owners should be taken at the time of land acquisition and

compensation should be provided on the basis of market value.

SHRI SUNIL BABURAO MENDHE: The Ministry of Road Transport and

Highways has been laying a network of roads across the country for the last seven years.

The length of highways in the country was 91,000 kms, now it has increased to more than

1.5 lakh kms. The ambitious 'PM Gati Shakti' scheme will also have the biggest

contribution from this ministry. Earlier, there used to be long queues of around one

kilometre at almost all the toll plazas. Now speed of all the toll plazas have increased

through fast track or digital payments and it takes only two or three minutes to cross toll

plaza. A patch of three-and-a-half-kilometre has been constructed at a National Highway

in Barmer district of Rajasthan, which can also be used as an airstrip. Four more such

airbases are being built through the National Highways, which will be a record in itself.

In my constituency, the Nagpur to Bhandara National Highway needs to be converted

from 4 lane to 6 lane.

SHRI NIHAL CHAND CHOUHAN: It is very important to have road

connectivity for economic and social development of any country as well as from social

security point of view. In 2019-20, 10,237 kms and in 2020-21, 13,000 kms of roads were

constructed. A target has been fixed to construct 37 km of National Highways daily. In

2022-23, a budget of around Rs.1,99,000 crore has been allocated for road construction.

During the last five years, Rajasthan has been awarded 18 new projects worth about Rs

8,500 crore in which 1,127 kms of roads will be constructed. During the last six years,

about 5,000 kms of new National Highways have been constructed in Rajasthan.

Bharatmala road is being constructed in the border area Sriganganagar. For the first time,

1,224-km long Amritsar-Jamnagar Green Corridor has been constructed. The proposed

National Highway from Suratgarh to Rawatsar via Hisar was declared as NH from

Suratgarh to Hisar Road via Jakharanwali, Rawatsar, Nohar and Bhadra. It is still

pending. A bridge at Kalibangan should be construced by NHAI. The bridges that were

sanctioned at Sri Vijaynagar are also not completed yet. The width of Sriganganagar-

Hanumangarh route should be increased and declared as a National Highway and the

Green Expressway passing through Hanumangarh should be connected to it.

SHRI HAJI FAZLUR REHMAN: The construction work of a four lane

highway from Delhi to Saharanpur is pending since last many years. It‘s work is going

on at a slow pace , hence it should be completed at the earliest. In the year 2018, the

Government had promised to construct a four lane highway. I request that a highway

should be constructed from Saharanpur to Mata Shakambhari Devi temple to facilitate

the devotees coming there for darshan. There is a Majra village between Shakambhari

Devi temple and Dehradun which is at a total distance of 7kms from Shakambhari

temple. If a road is constructed from there to Mata Shakambhari temple, then the people

of Dehradun can easily visit that place. While going to Dehradun from Saharanpur,

there is an old iron bridge which is about 20 metres long however its width is less

resulting in huge traffic jams. My request is that its width should be widened. Similarly,

the Government had announced to construct an highway from Saharanpur to Yamunotri

via Vikas Nagar. Its construction work should be started at the earliest. A highway

should be constructed to connect the Haridwar Roorkee highway with Karnal in

Haryana.

SHRI C.P. JOSHI: I express my gratitude to the Government for converting the

stretch of Kishangarh to Ahmedabad, which falls on Delhi-Mumbai highway, from four

lanes to six lanes. Further , I would also like to express my thanks for giving toll free

roads in places like Hoda Bhadesar to Bari Sadri Bansi Road, Nimbahera Keli,

Katunda-Rawatbhata etc. where there was no road connectivity and providing the facility

of buses in my Parliamentary Constituency. At present, an expressway is being

constructed in Pratapgarh . Pratapgarh which falls in my constituency is a tribal

dominated area which has no rail connectivity. For the first time, a new railway line has

been approved for that district. If Pratapgarh is connected with that expressway, then it

will accelerate the pace of development of that area. The Government has approved the

Charbhuja, Kumbhalgarh, Haldighati to Nathdwara national highway. The second phase

which will connect Bhatewar to Nathdwara via Mawli should be completed at the

earliest. I urge the Government that a highway should be constructed from Katunda-

Rawatbhata to Kota under Bharatmala -2 project. There are some places in my

constituency like Bala, Gangar, Rodji Kheda where there are black spots and accidents

can take place. Besides there is no way for the farmers to go across the road. Hence, an

underpass should be constructed.

SHRI NARENDRA KUMAR : I thank the Hon‘ble Minister for giving enhanced

budget to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways even during Corona pandemic.

The country moves forward only when there is good system of roads, water and

electricity for the development of the country. I come from the Jhunjhunu Parliamentary

Constituency in Rajasthan, which is backward in terms of railways and roads, whereas

this district has the highest number of soldiers and traders. There is only one National

Highway here, which is called NH-11. Four bypasses needs to be constructed here. Out

of which the bypass of Pilani has been sanctioned but the bypasses of Fatehpur,

Mandawa and Jhunjhunu are yet to be sanctioned. A new highway should be constructed

via Jalandhar, Bhadra, Rajgarh, Jhunjhunu, Udaipur, Ringas, which connects the National

Highway to Jaipur, Sikar and Bikaner.

SHRI RAHUL KASWAN: A lot of work has been done on the highways that

have been envisioned in the country. While 12 km of roads were constructed per day in

the country, this construction has reached 36.5 km per day last year and 25000 km of

road construction has been started this year. There is no Budget provision for the IRC at

all. The entire Budget of the highway is about two lakh crores. Out of this we have given

a Budget of less than 1.5 per cent for R&D. It is very important to increase the R&D

budget. The work of providing Bypass on National Highway 52 should be done. The

work of four laning of NH-52 is due. NH-52 is going to be four-laned it covers villages of

Dudhwa, Khara, Ramsara, Dhani, DS-pura, Dhadhar and Ladediya, a vehicle underpass

should be constructed there. Rajasthan will need more budget for CRIF. ROBs are

required to be constructed in Churu town, Punia Colony, above Sardar Nagar to Bikaner

Road and at Nahaur. The 145-km National Highway from Sarsa to Churu is very

strategically located, if you make a provision for it in this budget, then the people of the

area will be benefitted. Bathinda-Ajmer should be taken as an economic corridor in the

Budget. Concept of one district, one driving training centre should be brought in the

country. A vehicle driving training centre should also be made at Churu.

SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA: Displaced farmers should be given adequate

compensation for Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. Arbitration centre for it must be in

Amritsar instead of Jalandhar. I thank you for introducing new bridges to remove black

spots on National Highway – 44. Pillar bridges should replace some bridges of RE panel.

Elevated roads on Airport road should be sanctioned. Proper drainage facility must be

provided at rain water shades near roads. India Gate road passing through Amritsar

Golden Gate must be of six lanes. Works on all expressways, Bharatmala project and

Amritsar Bypass should be completed at the earliest.

SHRI NAIB SINGH SAINI: The highways of 4918 km have been constructed

between 2009 and 2014, and 8993 km between 2014 to 2021, the highways of 13327 km

have also been constructed instead of the target of 11000 km during the year 2020-21.

Kurukshetra being a religious city, lakhs of devotees visit here every year. But, due to

being the only main road within the city, it remains crowded. A bypass road may be

constructed to get rid t Kurukshetra city of the congestion. Pehewa is also a religious

town in Kurukshetra district. The Pehewa-Yamunanagar road remains under a lot of

pressure due to congestion. This problem should be solved by making this road four-lane.

DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY: The Government has announced the Look East

Policy for the economic, strategic and cultural development of the country. Bihar,

Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kolkata, West Bengal, Orissa, despite being

rich in terms of mines and minerals, remained backward and poor. The main reason for

this is that in the last 60-65 years the development of roads and roads has not been done

in the above states. That is why the North-Eastern States have not developed and unless

the North-Eastern States develop, the development of the country is not possible. Today,

the current account deficit is increasing. The government will have to prepare a strategy

to do business with countries like Burma, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and the

Philippines. In 2002, the then Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, signed a

trilateral agreement to connect India, Burma and Thailand by road. We have to work on

the Stillwell Road Project to compete with China and connect with the market in

Southeast Asia. The Stilwell Road Project is very important to do business with countries

like Singapore and Cambodia. We have to work on the Buddhist Circuit and the Jain

Circuit project to strengthen relations with our neighbours Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet and

to enhance trade. I request the government to include Vikramshila University in the

Buddhist Circuit. It can become a big centre of tourism by connecting Vikramshila

University with Nepal and Cambodia. Parasnath in Jharkhand and Champapuri in

Bhagalpur are a major pilgrimage site of Jainism. A Jain Circuit can be created by

connecting these sites together.

DR. MANOJ RAJORIA: In my constituency, Karauli-Dholpur, Firozpur Jhirka

(Haryana) Pahadi-Nagor-Khedi Mahua Hindaun, Karauli Mandrayal (Rajasthan) and the

road connecting Muhana Madhyapradesh may be developed on National Highway. Agra-

Jagner-Basedi-Maasalpur-Karauli-Jailadevi-Sawai Madhopur may be developed as

National Highway. From Gram Panchayat Mamodhan of Panchayat Samiti Basedi of the

district Dholpur to Gram Norha Panchayat Samiti Badi of Panchayat Samiti Badi, the

construction of culvert (small bridge) on Parvati River, a road from Gram Panchayat

Tigharia of Panchayat Samiti. Todabhim of panchayat Karauli district to Deolane Mundia

via Peelwa needs to be constructed and funds may be allocated for the construction of the

said roads.

KUMARI RAMYA HARIDAS: The Government should ensure construction of

service road and approach roads while it gets National Highway constructed. Adequate

funds should be allotted for completing road construction on Mannuthy-Vadakkancherry

Highway. The criteria of the allocation of funds for the construction of roads should be

liberalized. Special schemes and funds should be allocated for areas like Parambikulam

and Nelliampathi. Toll rate should be moderate. I request the Government to allocate

more funds for the construction of more roads in my constituency.

SHRI BALAK NATH: Around 70-80 percent cities have been connected under

Bharatmala Project. A Greenfield highway has been approved for connecting roads of

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Paniyala Mor to Alwar Highway. Mundawar Tehsil

should be included in it. Green Belt should be built on old roads such as 48 number

highway on Jaipur. Rainwater must be collected in ponds near highways. Bandikuin road

passing from Bhiwadi to Alwar and Nangloi-Alwar road must be declared National

Highways. I thank you for inaugurating projects for connecting Bhiwadi to National

Highway-48 and building an underpass / overbridge near Dahami.

SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI: Under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime

Minister, Hon'ble Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari ji has laid a network of roads in the

country , through which the country has been connected through roads from East to West

, North to South. The National Ropeway Development Program will be taken up in

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Contracts will be awarded in the year 2022-23

for implementation of Multimodal Logistics Parks at four locations through PPP mode.

20,000 crore will be raised through innovative modes of financing to supplement the

public resources . PM Gati Shakti Master Plan for Expressway will be prepared in the

year 2022-23 to facilitate faster movement of people and goods. The government will

expand the national highway network to 25 thousand km in the year 2022-23. Along with

tourism, there is an emphasis on increasing connectivity. In the year 2022-23, eight

ropeway projects of 60 km length have been awarded. Some problems of my

constituency Bharatpur – are widening and strengthening construction work of Kumher

Sankh road under CRIF scheme, widening and strengthening construction work of

Gulpara-Amruka-Jurehra road under CRIF scheme may be done.

SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE: I would like to request that a new National

Highway from Kabaitri in Bongaigaon district to Goroimari Dolosal in Barpeta district

should be constructed which will reduce the distance by 40 kms. While one section of

State Highway No. 2 of Assam, Kalitakuchi to Barpeta Hauli has already been declared

as National Highway, so the other section from Barpeta to Jania, North Salmara,

Bongaigaon should also be declared as National Highway. An Multi Modal Logistics

Park (MMLP) is being set up in Assam. But till now, not more than 50% work has been

done in any of the packages of package 1, package 2 and package 3. I would request the

hon. Minister that this work should be completed at the earliest. In the year 2019, 1.5 lakh

people died in road accidents. The Minister had formed the District Road Safety

Committee, but no meeting of that committee was held. Another bridge should be built

over the Brahmaputra river. There should be a bridge over the Jaljali river.

DR. BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI: Anakapalle-Anandapuram road

is a six-lane road sanctioned almost four years back. I would request the Minister to

expedite this work and include a small connecting road to Sheela Nagar and Port-road so

that there is connectivity to the Vishakahpatnam city. A helipad is also required so that

air lifting will be easier in case of accidents. This is included in the design, but the

Airport Authority has not yet given any permission for it. Three trauma care centres

should also be sanctioned as they are very adjacent to the National Highway 16 at

Anakapalle District Hospital, CHC Yelamanchili and CHC NAkkapalle. There are two

black spot areas in my Constituency at Thottada Junction and at Purushottamapuram.

Two road underpasses should be constructed in these two areas. Multi-model logistics

parks at Vijayawada are proposed to be sanctioned. I request another multi-model

logistics partk in Atchutapuram, which is a SEZ in my Parliamentary Constituency.

SHRI S. MUNISWAMY: I would like to put forth few demands related to my

constituency dring discussion on the Demands for Grands of the Ministry of Transport

and Highway. NH-75 was already four laned in my constituency, the order has been

given in Manglore to convert this road into six lane that connects Tirupati and Tirumala.

The work after preparing DPR should be started at the earliest which will benefit the

people of Kolar. The work of Chennai Express Corridor, is going on at fast pace, in my

district Kolar. It would be useful if another official is deployed to complete the work in

Chennai project. The number of unemployed and handicapped persons residing in every

district through which NH crosses, should be given at least three- four acre space beside

the road to run their shop. Hon. Minister is doing excellent work, I congratulate him.

SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY: In the financial year 2022-23,

Rs. 1.99 lakh crore has been allocated for this Ministry out of which , this year, unlike

BE of 2021-22 and RE of 2021-22, there is no provision for IEBR . I do not know why

the Government does not need internal and external budgetary resources, but it is clear

that this Government wants to do all development during budgetary support as private

investment has been kept only 30,000 whereas Kelkar committee's observation is that a

long term policy should be adopted in our country, so that private investment increases.

We signed the 'Brasilian Declaration'. According to the 'Brasilian Declaration', the

number of deaths due to road accidents in our country should have been halved. What

steps have been taken by the Government to fulfill this objective? How many trauma

centers are being built on the NH and other roads which are being constructed? In our

country, due to traffic congestion in only four cities i,e, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and

Kolkata, we lose Rs 1, 47,000 crore annually. The Government is talking of holistic

development of the North-Eastern States and that North- Eastern States are also

experiencing double-engine growth. India today holds the record of fastest road

construction. Then, what are the reasons for delay in the Special Accelerated Road

Development Programme for the North-Eastern area and Arunachal Pradesh? With

regard to the proposed expansion in the national highway network by 25,000 kilometres,

the construction pace will have to be increased from the present 36.5 kilometres per day

to about 68 kilometres per day. This is 87 per cent higher than the pace in 2020-21, which

seems to be a humongous and unrealistic task as per the track record of the Government.

We should keep in mind that increasing the pace of construction of new highways should

not be the sole focus of the Ministry. Quality of roads is equally important. I am very

astonished to find that since 2014-15, the highway developer's debt -- NHAI- has

increased around fourteen times from Rs. 24,188 crore to around Rs. 3,40,000 crore at the

end of January, 2022, which is a cause of grave concern for NHAI. There is a need to

state its reasons. The vacant posts in NHAI should be filled up. I want to appeal to the

Government that speed is needed, but along with the need for speed, we also have to look

to save lives. There is also a need to educate road users in our country. There is a need to

use industrial waste and municipal waste in road construction. I would also like to know

about the status of Bhutan - Bangladesh - India - Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement.

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR: The amount allocated for Tamil Nadu is very

low in the Union Budget for the year 2022-2023. I request to increase the allocation for

my constituency.

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH : I want to draw your attention towards my

Parliamentary Constituency where some roads need to be constructed using new methods

and on new basis. the length of ( NH 27E ) road from Araria headquarter to Araria zero

Mile is about 3.5 kilometers . Widening and expansion of the drain on both sides of the

road is very important. Araria headquarters to Pachkauri Chowk via Madanpur Palasi

PWD road, whose length is about 24 kilometers, connects a large population .This road

needs to be constructed using a new technology . Being adjacent to the Nepal border, all

these roads are very crowded and busy in terms of trafficand due to heavy traffic on

these roads , accidents happen every day, so the work of these highways needs to be

started as soon as possible. I also request to construct a Pedestrian Under Pass (PUP)

near Narpatganj Market Araria by converting it into Vehicle Under Pass (VUP) at the

earliest.

SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH: I would like to request the

Minister of Road Transport and Highways to pass necessary instructions for upgradation

of the three state highwaysviz. Atchampeta Junction to Anchorage Old Port Kakinada,

Vakalapudi Light House to Annavaram, Samarlakota to Atchampeta as the National

Highways. I would also like to make following demands pertaining to my

Parliamentary Constituency: Coversion of State Highway from Kakinada to

Rajahmundry into National Highway , connecting NH-216 to NH-16 between Kakinada

to Jonnada and Kakinada to Amalapuram, connecting NH-216 at Guranjanapalli with

proposed 4 line NHAI project at Kakinada Anchorage Port, connecting Kakinada,

Amalapuram, and Rajahmundry Parliamentary Constituencies, expediting the process of

construction of approach roads at Chepuru and Tetaunta , Tuni Mandal to avoid road

accidents, expediting the process of arranging Vehicular under pass or flyover and

lighting system at junctions so as to prevent frequent road accidents at the said junctions,

Rehabilitaion and Upgradation of Thimmapuram - Gurajanapalli Section, release an

amount of Rs. 70 crores under Central Road and Infrastructure (CRIF) scheme for the

development of the road from Vakalapudi to Onitimamidi junction. There is a huge

demand from Tribals in Araku Parliamentary Constituency for early payment of

compensation towards land acquisition in Paderu. For the year 2022-2023, the Ministry

has allocated 7% lesser than the revised expenditure on maintenance in 2021-22. I

demand plantation on both sides of NH roads. Fast tag system at Toll gates at

Rajahmundry 4th Bridge and other locations is non functional . It should be rectified.

SHRI KARADI SANGANNA AMARAPPA : It is to be noted that India has the

second largest road network globally, there has been a consistent increase in the

construction of national highways/roads since 2013-14, Length of NHS has been

increased from about 91,287 km as on 1st April 2014 to about 1,41,190 km as on date.

Large focus on infrastructure development is going to help the country reach the

dividends in the coming decades and highways will be expanded by 25,000 kilometres

(km) during 2022 -23FY it is going remarkable again.Hence State highway to National

Highway up-gradation is required for safe, smooth and congestion free movement of

traffic. Between Koppal to Metgal principal approved project already announced under

Bharatmala project by ministry but still it's not started, same Hospet to Sindhanur via

Gangavathi under BRT Project sanctioned but consultant not submitted the DPR. New

Electric ropeway project is very much required in lord Hanuman birth place Kishkinda,

"Anjandri Hill" to Hampi, It will use to develop the tourism.

SHRI MALOOK NAGAR: The provisions of the Land Tribunal Act 2014 are

quite effective but these are not properly enforced by the Government as a result roads

are not completed on time. Direct road (highways) from Delhi to Dehradun should be

constructed along the bank of the river Ganges. The construction of roads at various

places across the country has been halted due to the amendment made in the Land

Tribunal Act 2014, the work of construction of roads should be expedited by giving

compensation 4 times of its circle rate. Necessary facilities like hotel, washroom,

restrooms etc. should be made available at a distance of every 10-15 kilometre on the

National Highway.

SHRI D.M. KATHIR ANAND : In 2022-23, the Ministry of Road Transport &

Highways has been allocated nearly Rs. 68,000 crore more than the revised expenditure

in 2021-22. As of November 2021, NHAI's total debt stood at Rs. 3.38 lakh crore, which

is nearly 150 per cent more than the allocation to NHAI in 2022-23. In the present fiscal,

the Ministry strives to construct 68.49 kms, of National Highways per day. The union

government has laid foundation for large investments in infrastructure to flow under

public-private partnership. The role of State governments is crucial for making the

required land available for road construction. But it is really unfortunate that States are

not been taken into confidence. Likewise, Several State-led projects were not supported

by the Union Government. In-principle approval has been granted by the Road Transport

& Highways Ministry for declaring eight State roads as National Highways. I urge the

Union Government for the early approval of the same . The work of National Highway

(NH-79) between Ulundurpettai and Salem should be completed at the earliest. One of

the most unliked thing on National Highways are Toll gates. It is nothing short of

Highway robbery. There is an urgent need of rationalize the number and fee at toll gates.

Rs.15,000 crores wore announced in the Unlon Budget 2021 under the Pradhan Mantri

Gram Sadak Yojana but still the States are waiting for the funds from the budget for the

work which they have already completed. The peak hours traffic congestion in four major

cities costs the Indian economy around Rs.1.47 lakh crore annually. Nothing will solve

this issue except the good well-constructed Road. There is a need to increase private

sector involvement in construction of Highways. 60 percent of villages still are without

roads in India which adversely affects our agriculture and rural economy. Therefore the

Government should spend more on the development and construction of roads. Funds for

said maintenance should be increased substantially. Road engineering and construction

are yet to gear up to meet the challenges of the future like achieving the target of

expanding the National Highway network by 25,000 km construction. A modern nation is

built upon a smart and efficient transportation system which requires efficient planning

and effective implementation.

Utpal Kumar Singh

Secretary General

© 2022 BY LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT

NOTE: It is the verbatim Debate of the Lok Sabha and not the Synopsis that should be

considered authoritative.

English and Hindi versions of Synopses of Lok Sabha Debates are also available at

http://loksabha.nic.in.